Bottletop
Bottletop is a fashion company and registered charity based in London, UK.[1] The Bottletop Foundation empowers young people in the area of sexual health education, using fashion, art, and music to raise funds and awareness.[2][3]
The organisation has released a range of fashion accessories with Fenchurch, made entirely from recycled can ring pulls.[2]
Mostly recently the company has collaborated with Narciso Rodriguez on their Spring/Summer 2014 release of the Narciso Rodriguez (Heart) Bottletop Collection.
History
The Bottletop Foundation was launched in 2002 by Cameron Saul and his father Roger (Founder of British luxury fashion brand Mulberry) through a design collaboration with Mulberry. At the heart of the campaign was a handbag made from recycled bottle tops in Africa that was lined with Mulberry leather in Europe. The bestselling design was heralded as a sensation by the international fashion press, generating local employment and raising vital funds for grass roots education projects in Africa.
Bottletop’s Co-Director Oliver Wayman then discovered a stunning silver chain mail bag with a distinctly 1970’s Paco-Rabanne feel in Brazil. Featuring an irresistible lightweight material, the bag consisted of upcycled aluminium ring pulls held together by crotchet.
The bestselling ‘Bellani’, (named after Waymans mother who discovered the technique) generated a new wave of international publicity and demand that paved the way for the current Bottletop own brand collection, the production of which now supports artisans and their families in Brazil.
The Bottletop Fashion Company was founded in 2012 by Oliver Wayman and Cameron Saul and funds the operation of the Bottletop Foundation, uses contemporary art and music to raise funds and awareness for education projects that tackle delicate teenage health issues such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and teenage pregnancy. The Bottletop Foundation supports young people in Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Brazil and the UK.
(RED) campaign
In 2012, Bottletop is listed as a partner of the (RED) campaign, together with other brands such as Nike, Girl, American Express and Converse. The campaign's mission is to prevent the transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child by 2015 (the campaign's byline is "Fighting For An AIDS Free Generation").
Narciso Rodriguez (Heart) Bottletop Collaboration
In 2014 Bottletop released their designer collaboration with New York City fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez, presented by Pepsi, the Narciso Rodriguez (Heart) Bottletop Collection. The collection featured two-signature handbag styles, each named in honor of an inspirational woman who influenced the partnership. ‘The Candice’ handbag takes its name from the face of the collaboration Candice Swanepoel, while ‘The Jessica’ clutch references Jessica Alba who introduced Bottletop to Narciso Rodriguez. Both styles were made available in two of Narciso Rodriguez's signature colours – ‘classic black’ and ‘nude blush.’
Design elements include braiding techniques developed at the Bottletop atelier, hand painted pull tabs and Amazon-friendly Brazilian leather.
See also
References
- ↑ Bottletop - Background Archived March 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
- 1 2 Walker, Tim. "Right here, right now: Fatboy Slim and Sound Affects Brazil," The Independent, 23 February 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
- ↑ Cumming, Tim. "Charities are filling their fundraising CDs with high-quality world music," The Independent, 14 December 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2009.