Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter, visionary creative team and founders of Botter, want to pursue a new goal—redesign and democratize their brand while keeping faith to its “Caribbean Couture” and responsible DNA. They are discussing it at Denim Premiere Vision, while betting on open-source co-creation and dialoguing with their suppliers, and shoppers, according to their unconventional vision of the denim world.
Despite their new f/w 2026/2027 collection debuting at next November 2026 Denim PV, they are unveiling their new strategy during the talk “Botter’s reboot is open source”. Discover what is guiding them as a taste of their talk, taking place during the show on May 20, at 2PM.
About the Botter (duo)
Talented and unconventional, Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter, are a much talked about design duo team and couple for their unique approach to fashion. Their background is a magic mix that combines multicultural influences—Lisi’s parents are from the Dominican Republic, and Rushemy was born in Curacao, in the Caribbean. Lisi studied at AMFI in Amsterdam and worked for Viktor & Rolf. Rushemy, attended Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts under the mentorship of masters like Walter Van Beirendonck and Dirk Van Saene.
They won numerous awards, including, for instance, the Grand Prix at the Festival d’Hyères in 2018 and the ANDAM Fashion Award in 2022. Shortly after, they were appointed as creative directors of Nina Ricci, and then they stepped down and, for over a year now, have held the same role for G-Star.
They have also run their Botter brand, offering a fusion of music, literary, and culinary influences expressing the rich and hybrid Caribbean culture; they have sold it until 2024. Edgy yet inclusive, Botter’s creative sight is an extension of their own personalities: bold, colorful, and refreshingly positive. They are also strongly committed to offering apparel that respects the environment. It’s not by coincidence they finance the Botter Coral Nursery, their own nonprofit organization protecting the ocean and the Curacao Coral Reef.
Tell us about Botter.
Lisi Herrebrugh: Botter is our baby, our diary, and how we express ourselves in the purest way. We have sold it to some selected stores worldwide until 2024. Then, we slowed it down. It is sometimes right just stepping back a little bit. Now it’s time to relaunch it.
How will it evolve?
LH/RB: Nothing will change in terms of identity. Only its output will change. It continues to be inspired by our “Caribbean Couture” idea. It’s about adapting and resilience. It’s about the Caribbean culture that lives through the garments, but also through a certain mindset.
When we started this brand, it was like a search for us looking for your own identity—the Botter identity. As the years went by, we learned a lot and made new experiences and now we know better who we are and what story we want to tell. Therefore, Botter will have a stronger identity.
Since the beginning we have been telling a story through our brands. Storytelling is important, but in the past it almost overshadowed the fact that there should also be a commercial layer to our collections. Now we have grown and have found a way to merge the storytelling together with the commercial aspect, because it’s even more important than ever that your customer can be part of your brands. Otherwise, your community will never be able to step in.
One of our main focuses is to become more democratic. When we started, it was a kind of rebellious act because it was really unapologetic. We simply wanted to tell our story and it didn’t matter if we sold a lot of garments.
It was unapologetic and nobody was interfering. It was really pure and raw. Now we want it to be it democratic. It has to be affordable, but still Botter. Inclusivity is the new luxury.
For us, it’s also always important to question the functionalities of the garments. It comes from the Dutch and Belgian schooling asking questions like “Why is the trouser a trouser and not a jacket?” Or “Why does a closure close like that?” In fashion, you always need to stay curious to be able to find new details or new ways of wearing.
How are you going to democratize it?
RB: This is going to be like a challenge, because we don’t believe that a product is luxury when it’s high-priced or anything. Though, in our case, in the past, it was unavoidable because we were working, for instance, with materials made from algae, which are very innovative, but that pushed the price up. Now we really need to challenge ourselves.
How will you make this evolution happen?
LH: We changed our team. For a fashion brand, it’s so important to have the right people because as a designer, you don’t know all the factories, and all the people working there. It’s very important to have an excellent product developer, someone that has contacts in different positions. We had a good relationship with factories because our inside experts have worked with them for several years.
So, having a fantastic team that pushes, negotiates and fights for your ideas is much more important than ever, but also a collaborative spirit between the brands and the factories is much more important than ever. And it’s not only about getting the right prices and the right delivery times, but also working with the right factories.
Will denim continue to be part of Botter?
LH/RB: Yes, but it will play a more important role—even more now as we have started collaborating with Denim Premiere Vision. Thanks to them, we can actually get to know all the newest factories, test all their most innovative products and push the boundaries of denim ahead. We are very keen on connecting denim and Botter’s culture. Denim is really linked to culture, as, according to how it is worn, it is adopted by youth and by different subcultures.
By working at G-Star, we learned a lot about denim, but we still have this “non-denim” brain. So we are curious, and we are able to think out of the box. We are also having different conversations with denim manufacturers, and this way, we can challenge each other.
It’s important to create something innovative, and it’s also key to be able to explain that to the consumer. Furthermore, we believe in acting according to a kind of open-source approach and explain where a product and ideas come from. We love to translate how ideas become products. It’s all about collaboration.
How are you collaborating with companies?
LH: We’re working with several mills, garment makers, laundries, and other specialists at the same time because each one has its own specialty. But for us it’s about creating a conversation. We don’t like to go to a company and ask, “I want this.”
Rather than designers staying in their ivory tower, we prefer to start collaborative dialogues and collaborate with technicians. It’s a kind of layering. You tell us something, but we can add a little detail, and then the supplier can add another detail, and that becomes a fascinating match. That’s the best way to collaborate.
Will anything change or evolve in terms of sustainability?
LH: It’s remains the core of every decision that we make. Likewise, it’s like when we’re in the house and you switch off lights when you’re not in that room. It’s the essence of what we are. Sustainability is integrated in every decision that we make beyond a single collection or season.
What about your collections’ rhythms and chracteristics?
LH: We will indicatively follow the big lines of regular seasons, but not exactly on the same dates as others ,because we’re not focused that much on retail. We want to concentrate more on a direct-to-consumer distribution, via e-commerce, for instance. Though, at the same time, we still believe in selling also via a few selected worldwide stores that support a certain way of thinking and creativity.
Plus, our approach will be much more data-driven–more focused on our community and not really on the rhythm of the fashion industry. One day, we would also like to open our own store where we can meet our public and get their direct feeling.
We will offer a core of about 20 pieces and a few additional small drops of more curated collaborative pieces, or exciting product capsules. We will be focusing mainly on men, even if our products tend to be unisex and gender fluid, as women can also easily wear them.
You spoke about collaborating with companies. Will you also involve the younger generations of shoppers?
LH: We are mostly on collaborating with companies, but it would be great the young were part of it great. They’re so informed and proud to show what they bought…they sound as if they have made them themselves. It’s amazing. They are truly passionate about informing each other about how a garment is made. We create for them. We’re not doing that just to offer a beautiful image. The shopper holds a certain power. We are at work to involve and dialogue with them. As a brand, you can’t miss that.