If Pauline Bonaparte or Marchioness Casati were two it-girls of our time, they would surely be regulars. And probably so would Marie Antoinette or the painter Tamara de Lempicka. Between Beauty is a small, valuable independent company based in Berlin, specializing in the creation of silk or satin accessories that look like they came out of a theatrical costume workshop or a backstage of a period film. Napoleonic hats that defy gravity, bonnets with bows, veils with handmade flowers, shoes worthy of a noblewoman of Versailles or a Goldonian theatrical actress, each creation is a personal style statement inspired by works of art, theater, cinema, with accessories that take us back in time but are not obsolete, but on the contrary, contemporary in their uniqueness, representing a common thread between different eras to create a timeless style. Behind Between Beauty we find Wiwen, a make-up artist with an experimental taste enriched by a visceral passion for figurative art and beyond, and her husband Ben, who has a gallery in Berlin and has helped her above all to manage communication and the ever-increasing number of requests coming to their Berlin atelier.
How and when did the project come about and why did you choose to carry it out?
I have loved painting for as long as I can remember, and actually, all my work stems from there. Initially, that manifested itself in my venture into the make-up world, which is where Between Beauty was initially born (you can still see some of those early shots at the top of my Instagram feed!). Things exploded a bit, which led me to work with some really interesting brands. However, I quickly realized that the industry was not for me-the chaos of photo shoots was just too much. I preferred the actual creative part. Parallel to this, I was involved in making my own clothes as a side project. As I slowed down my work as a make-up artist, garment making began to fill that void. I noticed how this practice seemed to connect everything I loved: art history, painting, and creating calmly and quietly in a slow-paced environment. It has grown in a completely unexpected way over the past year and I decided to focus my attention and care completely on my hat business. My husband, Ben, stepped in to help me manage things when the orders started piling up and “bb” got more attention on social media. He was the perfect person for this role, since he founded Weserhalle, a contemporary art gallery here in Berlin, and still manages artists full time.
Your small but precious creations are mainly hats: why did you choose this accessory?
Lately I like to keep my wardrobe mostly clean, focusing on well-constructed, durable garments, and then I use accessories to add a touch of panache. They bring that extra touch, like an icing on the cake! Hats make everything so much more interesting, especially if it’s a beautiful and impressive hat with a hint of irony. I realized that this is where I can make my biggest contribution: hats, all sorts of unique ornaments and silk trinkets. This is my current focus, but let’s see where the future takes me.
Looking at your Instagram feed, I almost feel catapulted into a theatrical costume workshop. I am reminded of fascinating bygone eras, with characters ranging from Napoleon to Queen Marie Antoinette to Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. What are your inspirations?
I often find myself reproducing the clothes of my favorite paintings. I have a wonderful collection of art books and the inspiration is endless: the silk sashes of matadors, the exquisite pumps, the ribbon and pearl chokers and other regal trinkets immortalized in the works of Édouard Manet, for example. I long for pieces like these for myself, but with a modern twist. I want to give them the same attention to quality and the same calm, meticulous pace of making, creating things that are meant to be treasured for generations. It is an approach that is similar to that of heirlooms for short. Film costume design is another big influence. I follow my favorite costume designers and watch everything they create, like Sandy Powell’s work on Orlando or Jacqueline Durran’s work on Anna Karenina. Watching Kate & Leopold really changed my brain chemistry as a child: Kate’s style mixed minimalist tailoring with basic luxury garments and it stuck in my mind: her elegant business suits, that divine dove gray silk satin cocktail dress in the final scene (designed especially for the film by costume designer Donna Zakowska) and Leo’s silk tie knots. More recently, I was inspired by the film “The Hidden Thread” because of its painstaking care, its mystery, and the way it portrays an all-encompassing passion for one’s craft.
By the way, is there a historical figure and celebrity of the present that you would like to dress up?
I’m currently working on some collaborations with celebrities that I’ve always dreamed of dressing, so out of superstition I can’t tell you anything about that. But looking back, I love the idea that a Polish painter and a Parisian socialite might wear my pieces. Tamara de Lempicka, queen of the 1920s, would definitely wear the Bicorn “Butter Tower” hat. I know, I’m sure she would!
In addition to your strong visual aesthetic, you are also a small independent brand that makes everything by hand. How important do you think the handmade aspect is in contemporary creativity?
Because this venture began purely out of enthusiasm and passion, the process is deeply enjoyable and I absolutely love the pace of it. If it were faster, it wouldn’t be any more fun. I design, sew, photograph and touch up everything myself-sometimes I even do the makeup on set for Between Beauty shoots! I also label every hat box by hand, as calligraphy is an old interest that has really piqued my curiosity. I enjoy wearing many hats! It allows me to combine all the most enjoyable skills I’ve learned along the way. I want to create things that will last. Pieces that don’t fade with a season, but are loved and passed on. This is the beauty of objects born from a small atelier: a careful, responsible and authentic creative process.
What is the “craziest” accessory you have not yet created but would like to make?
There was a time when I seriously considered aiming for the official Guinness World Record title for the tallest hat. We’ll see! Making the world’s tallest wearable hat is a dream, but record titles are not exactly my priority right now, especially after the frenzy of the fashion month that just ended.
I saw that in addition to the shop, you are also open to possible custom requests. Do you remember a particular request from a customer because it was rather bizarre or challenging?
The most original project was definitely to make a hat for a deceased person. Her family wanted a custom silk hat for the final look in the coffin. I was hesitant at first, but in the end, I accepted this request like any other project, and the family was delighted with the result.
[đź“·Instagram: between_beauty]
