Beth Levis, The Fashion Exec Bringing Her Design Eye To Her Own Wellness Brand

With her lithe figure, milky-pale skin, and cut-glass cheekbones offset by bold brows, Beth Levis could be mistaken for a blonde Jennifer Connolly. Even their stylistic choices follow similar themes. Both love a strong, architectural look and have something of an artist/muse relationship with certain favoured designers – for Jennifer, it’s with Nicholas Ghesquière, and for Beth, it’s with Dion Lee. It seemed like kismet, then, when Beth married into the Levis family, the Australian fashion stalwarts (her father-in-law started CUE Clothing over fifty years ago) whose portfolio includes Dion’s label. Stepping up to the plate and joining the the family business has had the happy result of Beth looking after brand management and PR for the label that dovetails so well with her own aesthetic. In 2021, she began her own wellness brand, By Beth, now stocked at David Jones, utilising lessons she has learned in her career in the fashion industry, including realising the importance of Australian suppliers. The mother of four and step-mother of one told us about how her childhood spent in northern Queensland informed her outlook on beauty, the importance of setting aside time for herself in the early mornings before her large household is awake, and how she makes her beloved Dion Lee suiting work even on relaxed Sydney weekends.

“Motherhood has by far been the most challenging experience of my life.

Nothing can prepare you for the highs and lows of parenting; it is the most rewarding challenge. It has been incredible and indescribable to give birth to, and then parent, four amazing children.

I think you come through it all through sheer trial and error, and a lot of love. Once we realise we shouldn’t aim for perfection, the overwhelming size of the challenge reduces significantly. If you continually aim for perfection you will inevitably fail. What our children need is not perfection but rather leadership, love and a nurturing environment. I can name a dozen things I do imperfectly on a daily basis, but with age comes peace and wisdom. My children don’t need me to be perfect, they need me to be present, receptive and attentive. I’m always there for them, to imperfectly pin up a ballet bun or to imperfectly tie a soccer boot.

At uni I studied business and law, but always had a deep love of fashion and wanted to one day work in that industry.

My studies gave me the skills and insight to be able to join my husband’s family business, where I’ve had extensive exposure to manufacturing and production through the brands in our portfolio, CUE Clothing and Veronika Maine. I am particularly involved with our brand Dion Lee, and for almost eight years have worked across Dion Lee’s brand management, marketing and PR.

Last year I launched By Beth, my own collagen supplement brand. I’ve always been passionate about skincare, beauty and wellness, so By Beth is a culmination of my interests, plus it supports Australian growers and manufacturers, which is very important to me.

I was born in the Northern Territory and raised on Magnetic Island, which is a short ferry ride from Townsville. It was an idyllic childhood spent roaming the white sands of secluded beaches, exploring bush trails and swimming every day in the clear blue ocean. It’s the place that fostered my deep appreciation for the natural world and, particularly, the beauty of Australia. I’ve taken this appreciation into my adult life and has very much informed the By Beth ethos. The brand is a celebration of Australian abundance, using locally sourced bovine collagen and native botanicals.

It was really important to me to create an environmentally-friendly beauty brand. All of the packaging we use is as low-impact as possible.

More than eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean each year, so we’ve avoided single-use plastic and instead opted for sustainable materials. Our signature vessels are refillable and plastic-free, we use FSC-certified papers across our packaging suite, and we embrace innovative materials like biodegradable bamboo and soy-based ink.

Working across CUE Clothing, Veronika Maine and Dion Lee, as well as By Beth, the work is varied, fast-paced and exciting.

In a post-COVID world, I find the flexibility of working remotely really beneficial as it allows me to spend more time with my children. I can do emails while I am waiting to pick them up from school and it means that I don’t have to miss moments while they’re growing up. The hardest part can be travel as it means being away from the kids for extended periods of time.

I like to use my mornings to set me up for a successful day. I get up around 6am, so that I can have an hour to myself before the children wake up.

I usually do a workout during this time; I like to keep moving and stay healthy for body and mind, so a minimum of four times per week I’ll engage in light exercise. I like to mix it up, whether it’s Pilates (in the studio or at home with my own reformer machine and a guided online session), walks with the dogs or following the Kayla Itsines app. I’ll go to F45 if I’m feeling really in need of a challenge. After my exercise is done, I’ll have a green smoothie (my favourite at the moment is coconut water, yoghurt, half a frozen banana and a handful of baby spinach). Then, as any mum will know, it’s all go-go-go to get the kids ready for school.

I keep my diet as ‘caveman’ as possible – nuts, seeds, plenty of fresh fruit and colourful vegetables, lean meat and fatty fish… with the addition of some red wine and dark chocolate!

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @BETH.LEVIS

I would describe my style as timeless and classic with on-trend elements woven in.

I love suiting and contemporary tailoring, Dion Lee just does this so fantastically well. Whether I’m wearing one of his suits with heels to a business meeting or with sneakers on the weekends, they always make me feel so empowered and feminine.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @BETH.LEVIS

I try to keep my skincare as simple as possible.

I’ll double cleanse my skin and then apply a hydrating serum, or I’ll use a vitamin C serum to give me a glowing base. I’ll then follow up with the Emma Lewisham Brighten Your Day Crème. I find this really plumps up my skin and I love the brand’s approach to circular and sustainable skincare. I also like to curl my eyelashes instead of wearing mascara for an everyday look.

I have a monthly facial at Fenn in Paddington with Clare McColl, who is the co-founder and one of Australia’s best skin therapists. The space is so well curated and you feel instantly relaxed as soon as you set foot inside. The treatments are absolute heaven and I always walk out glowing.

My mum taught me to keep my approach to beauty simple and never over complicate it. This is definitely a philosophy I’ve carried with me.

I feel most confident and like my true self when my skin is clear and glowing, and my makeup is minimal enough to let my skin take centre stage.

I have always been drawn to effortless, natural beauty. I like seeing freckles and ‘flaws’ and believe these are what make us so unique and individual. I like the dewy, fresh-faced look rather than when makeup has been slathered on.

I think ageing should be embraced.

I’m so glad that there’s been a huge shift in beauty ideals and attitudes over the last few years, which has given so much more visibility to older women. Environment and lifestyle factors are the biggest contributors to ageing, so it’s within our power to reduce the impact these have by wearing sunscreen daily, not smoking, cutting down alcohol consumption, managing stress and engaging in exercise. My philosophy is to control what we can and accept what we cannot!”