Profile: Halina Bellová – Only Natural Design Competitions

Halina Bellová

Bath Spa University

I am a Bath Spa University Fashion Design graduate with a passion for craftsmanship, material exploration and the studio process. From the first toile to the final garment, I enjoy developing ideas through making - refining patterns, testing materials and allowing research to evolve through experimentation. Growing up between Czech and American cultures has shaped my perspective, inspiring me to explore identity, heritage and cultural memory through clothing. My work draws on timeless workwear, architecture and history, creating garments that balance function with quiet storytelling. During my final year, I discovered a particular interest in natural materials and traditional textile processes. With the support of my lecturers, I discovered the possibilities of fully fashioned knitwear, natural dyeing, mordanting and working with heritage textiles including vintage linen and hemp. These experiences changed the way I think about clothing - not only as a finished garment, but as a complete journey from sourcing and making to longevity. They reinforced my belief that, sometimes, old truly is better than new, and inspired me to submit my work to the Only Natural competition. As I begin my career, I hope to continue learning within a studio environment where craftsmanship, curiosity and collaboration are valued, creating garments that respect both their materials and the stories they carry.

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Homesick for Nowhere

Category: Apparel

Competitions: Fashion Competition 2026

Homesick for Nowhere is my graduate project, exploring my dual Czech and American heritage through classic Americana workwear staples and heritage fabrics that reflect on how clothing carries meaning beyond function. This submitted look embodies that narrative through a naturally avocado-dyed chore coat and trousers, crafted from vintage 1930s French cotton bed linen. Designed as enduring wardrobe staples, the garments celebrate craftsmanship, material longevity and the value of natural processes as an alternative to disposable fashion. The look is an homage to the Czech 1989 Velvet Revolution. It honours the people who made it happen through nostalgic chore coat-inspired silhouettes and references to political heritage. Informed by cultural memory, political history and lived experience, it reflects on resistance, identity and collective change, alongside a quiet disillusionment with inherited systems. The colour palette and construction details were informed by Prague's Old Town architecture, particularly its oxidised copper rooftops and layered façades. As copper slowly transforms over time, it became both a visual and material metaphor for renewal following the Velvet Revolution. This process inspired the natural avocado dye, whose gradual development reflects transformation through natural means. The garments communicate the tension between softness and structure, individuality and collective memory, celebrating natural processes as symbols of resilience, renewal and hope.