This one-of-a-kind Bumbee bag has been created by London-based fashion designer and artist Bethany Williams for TOAST Renewed, using items from past TOAST collections that have been either damaged or returned to our warehouse. Made from handwoven willow and crochet patchwork with a hand-carved wooden handle.

“Bumbee means bumblebee in Manx Gaelic. The bag is inspired by traditional bumbee cages, a woven rattle given to children by their parents,” says Bethany. “I worked with John Dog Callister, who interpreted this traditional shape in willow, making it larger and transforming it into the form of a Hop-tu-Naa lantern, which connects to celebrations around the changing seasons and the return of light through winter. I then worked with Alice Morell Evans to develop crochet panels from waste knit brought through the TOAST Circle programme and sample swatches from previous collections. The handle has been hand-carved by Alice’s father. The idea is that the bag becomes a lantern, symbolically holding light - the light that we carry within ourselves. For me, light is not always bright; sometimes it is soft or almost hidden. It is about having the courage to keep going and allowing the light to return.”

Handwoven willow. Crochet patchwork. Hand-carved wooden handle. Lid opening.

This style is part of TOAST Renewed By, our limited-edition collaboration series, which sees garments transformed by guest artists through traditional textile handcrafts, honouring both their past and their potential future.