FIELD TRIP-June 2011

by Veronique McAree | Photography Amanda Kowalski

Clothing designer, Rockland resident, shop owner, creator of handmade dresses—hello, that’s a lot of hats to wear! Beth Bowley does so with aplomb, but she does admit to a Blackberry addiction and ingesting a lot of caffeine.

Since her childhood, Beth Bowley has known she was meant for a life in fashion. At nine, she sewed custom clothing for her menagerie of dolls and ragtag teddy bears. As a teen, she fashioned many of her own clothes entirely by hand.

Flash forward to 2011, and Bowley’s passion for design is still burning bright. She’s a well-respected designer known for fresh, feminine apparel collections that are sought after by such coveted brands as Anthropologie and Nordstrom. Lucky for us, her boutique is in Rockland.

Bowley splits her time between Rockland and New York City, where she continues to run a successful design studio. “I commute back and forth quite a bit, but it’s Maine I call home,” she says. “I wanted to be near family and was searching for a new venture that would allow me to expand my vision and live here.” Enter Four-    TWELVE.

FourTWELVE is a drop-dead gorgeous space filled with an artfully curated selection of clothing, accessories, and eclectic wares, including home goods, vintage finds, books, and stationery.

In the boutique, mixed in with the many other chic (and often cheeky) brands, you’ll find Bowley’s own fashions, which range from cashmere sweaters to shift dresses. Constructed with el- egant fabrics and impeccable tailoring, her designs have a distinctive, you-haven’t-ever-seen-this-before look.

“Women are attracted to FourTWELVE because of all the elements I try to put into the designs and merchandising—there’s always a very feminine aspect…there’s also the aspect of relevance I try to create by always adding a streamlined modern appeal,” she says.

Whether you are looking for a new bag, a throw pillow, a rug, or a new outfit, FourTWELVE is worth a field trip from wherever you happen to be.