Combining the influences of their Caribbean heritage and their mastery of Belgium and Dutch tailoring to infuse their menswear label with sophisticated virility, Botter’s take on fashion is an extension of the design duo behind the label. Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh’s bold, colourful and refreshingly positive personalities add a poetic feel to Botter’s collections.
With years spent travelling between the Caribbean and The Netherlands, Botter learned to look through different eyes to the world, cultures and people’s ways of living.
“From a young age we have seen the beautiful waters change into garbage disposals and have seen our direct family suffer from this change. As a Caribbean-heritage brand, we cannot bear to see the pollution of the ocean and we feel the need to set targets to better our business.”
Upcycling, used as a mindset rather than a concept, sublimates reality by finding beauty in the unexpected. The DIY process, dear to Caribbean islanders, is extended to Botter’s International Woolmark Prize collection itself. They twist couture shapes, creating unexpected coats with fitted fronts and balloon backs; reveal the hidden by turning a puffer jacket upside down; highlight raw materials with sophisticated hand techniques in wool wadding flower patterns, deadstock plastic tag pearl embroideries or fragile cracked silver foil embellishments; and recycle fabric stocks and wool blends. In other words, they strive to give life to the garment, questioning the notions of good taste and short-lived.
“We see sustainability as a mindset rather than a concept,” says the Botter duo. “Sustainability in treating people in a fair way, building strong relationships within the industry and creating an inclusive way of approaching fashion together. We are determined to create an impactful movement the world will benefit from, not only our businesses.
“As a young but growing brand, we will start with our materials and lowering the impact of our material choices on the environment and pollution of the waters. As a Caribbean heritage brand, we cannot bear to see the pollution of the ocean and we feel the need to set targets to better our business.”
“As a young but growing brand, we will start with our materials and lowering the impact of our material choices on the environment and pollution of the waters. As a Caribbean heritage brand, we cannot bear to see the pollution of the ocean and we feel the need to set targets to better our business.”
With an emphasis on natural beauty, Botter uses wool in unexpected ways. Its Lammy coat is made from 100% wool wadding, a natural alternative to traditional synthetic or down, with the coat pulled apart to have the wadding on both the interior and exterior rather than relegated to the inside of the jacket.
Imposing their personal stamp on every collection, the Botter duo places high value on the rethinking of materials and perceptions on them. In a tribute to the people of the Caribbean - who create beautiful things with what they have around them - Botter believes there is no need to develop new objects or materials when you can tell a new story by curating objects or materials together that start a new dialogue. For example, they use the clothing pin tags as embroidery, a way to emblem the fabric with fake pearls and make it look precious and light like feathers.
“Everyday details become beautiful: the use of raw materials with sophisticated hand techniques.”
