Since founding their brand Botter in 2017, Rushemy Botter and his partner Lisi Herrebrugh have carved a path that connects their Caribbean culture to today’s fashion zeitgeist – using their platform as artistic forms of social commentary – addressing fervant issues like discrimination, gender-fluidity and immigration.

This season, the duo used this position to support the Black Lives Matter movement, addressing the situation by offering their unique perspective to the conversation. This stance was made clear from the very start as Herrebrugh opened the brand’s SS21 presentation by voicing a short video: “We are standing against racism, ignorance and lack of empathy.”

As a brand, Botter has always plugged into the joie de vivre of cultural difference and community. Here, despite the current global situation being incredibly bleak, the duo instead focused on a sense of optimism that stems from the fact people are waking up and change is happening.

Reworking popular pieces from their archives as limited edition pieces crafted from available materials as a way of dealing with the economic implications of COVID, this approach not only made financial sense but also emphasises the brand’s commitment to artisanal craft. This ethos saw the return of fan favourites such as the “Sharchitect” blazer, “grandpa shirt” and louche tailoring, reworked with vibrant prints inspired by “bleached coral, damaged through life, but still alive” and florals that spoke of “Bonsai, a little piece of life that weathered many storms, yet showing signs of positive blossom.” Elsewhere, spools of thread were crafted into necklaces.

When a collection has deeper, authentic meaning, you can physically feel it. Here, Botter’s SS21 collection glowed with a engrained sense of empowerment: “As Botter we will use our creation as a weapon of peace,” the duo said proudly.