Daughter of painter Lucian Freud, it is no surprise that Bella has experience in many creative areas, film making being a primary passion of hers.
One of her most famous creations came into being almost by chance. “I made some short films with John Malkovich, and the last one we did was about beatniks, a poet and women who were his admirers”. Wanting one of these women to wear a jumper that looked like band merchandise, Bella created ‘Ginsberg is god’. “Someone had a slip of the tongue and said, ‘Godard is dog’, and that was perfect for meaningful and meaningless poetry”.
Driven by the 18th century Romantic movement, celebrating imagination and intuition, the Romanticism sweater “is a feeling of friendship and camaraderie,” says Bella. “It feels as urgent as ever now; romanticism is radical, loving people is radical, gentleness is radical. It is so much more than just to be romantic”.
Having grown up in London during the ‘prime time’ of Rock’n’roll and Punk Rock, Bella was heavily influenced by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones leading to her ‘cool girl’ style. This was a pivotal time in Bella’s life, being more than just a genre, Bella found the punk scene including artists like The Clash to be a “powerful movement for the young”. Throughout her collections new phrases are incorporated, each holding an association to her life. The ‘Hunky Dory’ sweater being an ode to Bella’s forever inspiration, rock legend David Bowie.
Bella Freud is and continues to be an influential icon within the industry, embodying an intelligent yet fun and playful approach.
Shop the Bella Freud SS23 collection here.
