DKNY X BOTTLETOP LAUNCHES IN LONDON

The DKNY X Bottletop launch party at DKNY Bond Street

 Bond Street was bustling last Thursday night as DKNY’s London flagship store welcomed stylish shoppers and Bottletop friends and family to celebrate the launch of our new designer collaboration.

The DKNY X BOTTLETOP Stephanie bag is now in-store alongside DKNY’s current collection

Co-hosting with Bottletop founders Cameron Saul and Oliver Wayman were British Vogue Sittings Editor Nura Khan and lifestyle blogger Rosie Londoner. The evening had guests including Turner Prize nominated artist Lynette Yiadom-Boakye and fashion heiress Veronica Chou admiring Donna Karan’s own take on our signature sustainable accessories.

Veronica Chou with her DKNY X Bottletop bag

Cameron Saul with Lynette Yiadom-Boayke

DKNY’s in-store stylists created a special window display for the event and one of London’s most exciting rising music stars Sasha Keable kept the ambience on-point with a savvy DJ set.

Singer and DJ Sasha Keable with Cameron Saul

Vogue Sittings Editor Nura Khan with Cameron Saul

Nura from Vogue joined us as a wink to her own Brazilian roots and in support of our artisanal initiatives: “Charity begins in the wardrobe!” she exclaimed. Her personal pick from the collection is the Jacki in bright yellow enamel and she loves the Anja’s fringing detail.

Lydia Ingram from Purple PR with Nura Khan, Naomi Smart and Julia Hobbs from Vogue

Andrea Thompson, Marie Claire features Editor and friend

Vogue isn’t the only glossy to support the collaboration as Harper’s Bazaar, Red, Marie Claire and Grazia have all featured the designs, while fashion authority Womenswear Daily spotlighted the Stephanie clutch the moment it appeared on the DKNY catwalk back in September.

Bottletop on the catwalk for DKNY SS15

On Thursday, Cameron Saul spoke about why this partnership means so much to our social enterprise. Remembering how the collaboration began he said, "It was love at first sight for Donna when she attended a Bottletop event a year ago in New York. She initially fell for the aesthetic of our accessories at a design level and once she heard our story she came to agree with us that every Bottletop accessory is a hand-finished piece of precious craftsmanship."

Cameron Saul with Donna Karan at New York Fashion Week

Knitwear designer Bertie Bertinez

​Going on to share why the influential American designer connected so deeply with our work, Cameron described how Donna instinctively understood Bottletop’s motivation from the moment she learned about it. “Our mission is to use fashion as a vehicle for generating high artisan skill-sets among people in challenging environments around the world”, he reminded guests. “I'm proud to say that the team at our atelier in Brazil, where all the DKNY pieces were created, includes some of the most skilful artisans in South America”.

Bottletop Co-Founder Oliver Wayman and Bottletop Chairman Iain Renwick

Cameron Saul with lifestyle blogger Rosie Londoner and friends

Describing her passion for our work in her own words Donna Karan has said, “Bottletop embraces everything I believe in… a stylish marriage of commerce and philanthropy. These artisanal recycled bags are modern and functional - and very much in the street chic spirit of DKNY”.

Mulberry Founder Roger Saul with Monty Saul

Sports PR Sam Feasey and MD of Kilver Court Freddie Saul

The sale of all pieces from the DKNY X Bottletop collection helps fund important health education programmes for young people in Brazil, Malawi, Rwanda, Mozambique and Kenya through the Bottletop Foundation. At the launch event DKNY also kindly donated a percentage of their sales on the SS15 collection to our foundation. Help us to help others and shop the bags here.