Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Hagans.
Elizabeth, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I started pulling thread through fabric when I was five years old.” Or possibly, “I started pulling needle and thread through fabric when I was five years old. My mother taught me the basics: how to use a sewing machine, how to use a pattern, what tools to use for basic designs, etc.
By the time I was 16 I was looking for more challenging projects. I had moved from the Oakland, CA art scene to rural south Georgia. While I missed the diversity of the West Coast, I found myself pushed to explore the rich fashion history of the deep South.
I got my feet wet in the costuming community when I researched and built my first reenactment dress. It was a turn of the century calico farm dress for a special event at a local living history museum.
That experience showed me that my passion was not directed toward modern fashion design, but rather toward historical recreations and fantasy cosplay.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
While I do not hold a formal degree, I have over 30 years of experience crafting cosplay, vintage fashion, special occasion children’s clothing, and reenactment garb.
For my reenactment pieces, I’m always on the lookout for sources of authentic, period media. For cosplay, I try to re-imagine well-known characters and give them a creative twist rather than verbatim copies. For my vintage and children’s wear, I try to focus on comfort and longevity.
I’m always inspired by the imagination and free spirit of children. They are my favorite clients because they typically think only in terms of what makes them happy without all the baggage of social obligation.
I definitely do more work for adults, but children’s designs are my passion. My brand name reflects this. Bethimus was a nickname I was given by my childhood best friend.
Overall, I hope my work reflects a message of inclusion and diversity, but primarily fun.
What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
My calendar is constantly full. I homeschool my children, volunteer at my church, do reenactment work, and spend time in my studio. Then there’s all the self-care. I need time to rest. I need to exercise. I need to eat right.
Sometimes making new connections gets pushed to the bottom of my list, yet I know I need those connections to keep moving forward in this industry.
Having lived in rural areas helps me appreciate the plethora of opportunities and diversity here in South Florida. I try to designate at least one evening every week for collaborative work with another artist, and I try to attend at least one event each month that will offer networking opportunities.
I’ve worked at comic cons, volunteered at local art venues, done reenactment work at festivals. Sometimes just taking my kids to museums and galleries gives me new connections.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Because I primarily do individual commissions, it’s difficult to see most of my pieces up close. However, I maintain a portfolio of my work on social media.
My work is largely featured at the Florida Renaissance Festival. My largest group of clients work there in a myriad of positions. From vendors and peasants to wealthy merchants and even the royal court, my pieces are often included in the albums of festival photographers.
I was recently a last minute inclusion in a costume exhibition last summer at Studio 18 in Pembroke Pines and hope to be featured again this summer in a vintage fashion exhibition.
If you have an event coming up and need something unique to wear, feel free to contact me on my Facebook page (@bethimusdesigns) or through Instagram (@bethimus.h). I also have an Etsy store (https://etsy.me/2TY0fQg) where you can purchase ready-made items from time to time.
Contact Info:
- Website: Bethimus.blogspot.com
- Phone: 9544390766
- Email: bethimus@gmail.com
- Instagram: @Bethimus.h
- Facebook: Facebook.com/bethimusdesigns
- Other: https://etsy.me/2JuNGI9
Image Credit:
Jodie Beechler
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