Bet Callieri
August 31, 2026
Bet Callieri has been part of the paloma wool universe for many years. We first met when she was a teenager, and over time our relationship has grown through various forms of collaboration, from appearing in our shows to this new project. Her distinctive visual language and thoughtful approach to design made this collaboration feel like a natural continuation of a long-standing connection. We spoke with Bet about the process, the ideas behind the pieces, and how they came into being.
Tell us about yourself and your creative background.
I was born in Barcelona and had a very happy childhood.
Always been interested in many things. Especially the world surrounding me, the humans and objects surrounding me. I have always been very into cinema.
When I graduated, I started modeling and then decided to quit after two years.
After uni in Barcelona, I moved to Paris for an internship at Acne Studios that led me to where I am now: fluid fabrics and jersey designer at Jacquemus.
I'm a very curious person willing to work and entertain myself all the time. I never really get bored. I always keep myself busy somehow and love to make stuff with my hands. I also enjoy mechanical work where I don't have to come up with creative ideas. I find that super relaxing and helpful for my mental health.
Regarding your visual references: was there a specific influence? A book, an artist, a film that guided you, or would you say the universe surrounding this collection was born from a more abstract feeling or atmosphere?
I have always been obsessed with whatever surrounds me, as I said before. I tend to make long lists of stuff or garments that I want to create. My collaboration with paloma wool was the perfect occasion to cross some things from that list and make them look extremely nice.
There is a clear contrast in this capsule between the fluid, draped garments and the graphic, hand-painted pieces. How do you see these two worlds in dialogue with each other?
In a way, I see the draped garments in the collection as geometric as well. Even if it's fluid garments, there is a certain color block that I find quite graphic.
I tried to synthesize my practice by doing a little bit of everything I enjoy working on: painting, draping…
In the past, you have mentioned your interest in decontextualizing your designs. Looking at this capsule, it feels like there’s a deliberate optical illusion at play. Was that intentional from the start?
Playing with optical illusions was never my intention. I started painting garments because I truly enjoy the fact of tracing on a surface with a Sharpie. It gives me so much joy to draw without reason.
Also, since I moved to Paris, I base my practice on what I like to call ‘Lazy Fashion’. This concept comes from my desire to create garments or any kind of piece that allows me to express myself in a very busy and chaotic life that I live (my work, my life itself, and my personal project: betcallieri). Lazy fashion is an excuse for me to rationalize and justify the imperfect garments that I make. Imperfect because of a lack of time, energy, or money.
The fact that so many of the pieces are hand-painted adds a unique character to them. How important is that sense of 'imperfection' to your overall vision for this collection?
I'm never looking for perfection. In a way, it fascinates me to look at a haute couture ‘perfect’ garment, and notice there are also mistakes. It's like looking at paintings of Velázquez in real life and seeing the corrections he made. I don't look for imperfection, and I don't necessarily like it that much. It's just something that I can't avoid and therefore won't go against.
Every collaboration opens a different dialogue and path. Was there a moment in this project that led you somewhere unexpected or changed the way you approached your work?
Yes. First of all, it was very easy to dialogue with Paloma. She was absolutely welcoming to all my ideas, which felt incredibly nice.
What felt weird and unusual was taking my personal work to a professional level.
I usually work in a very spontaneous way, unless it is a made-to-order piece where the client pays for a style. Whenever I have an idea, I just execute it. No prototypes, no trials. My trials are my final pieces from the past. My work is raw and direct, and I think you can feel that.
Reflecting on this collaboration, what are you excited to carry forward into your next projects? Are there specific themes or techniques you feel compelled to explore next?
I have no idea where I'm going next. I'd like to experiment with cinema, maybe. Maybe not. As soon as I find something to get obsessed with, I’ll start creating again. I guess that will be soon. It's always soon.
Photography
Marc Souvenir
Styling
Mona Antabli
Set design
Eve Lindbergh Joy
Casting
Julia Gilmour
Photo assistant
Mischa Schlegel
HMU
Tsuyoshi Tamai