Home JOURNAL Behind the Label | Bottletop

Behind the Label | Bottletop

Cameron Saul and Oliver Wayman are two men on a mission to build a chic and stylish handbag collection that employs artisans globally. The Bottletop brand may have had humble origins in Bahia, Brazil but this fast-moving company just completed an incredibly cool collaboration with Designer Narcisco Rodriguez and is poised to launch a new line of leather goods come Fall 2014. Carrying a Bottletop bag is an easy and ever so fashionable way to give back. Read more about the story behind the label and check out these amazing hand made bags.

How does travel inspire your collection?

Travel is undoubtedly one of the main drivers behind what we do. We are consistently inspired by the beautiful places that Cameron and I are lucky enough to visit. We love the vibrant cultural melting pot of Salvador, Bahia where our products are made and the inspirational education projects that our foundation supports across Africa.

Describe the Bottletop brand in 3 words.

The 3 c's:

Creativity - The essence of our brand is built on creative processes stemming from South America, Africa, and Europe.

Craftsmanship - We train and employ highly skilled artisans in extremely challenging environments.

Culture - The traditional techniques we use give a platform to the cultures that exist in the communities in which we work.

Your collection of products keeps growing. What creative endeavors are on the horizon?

We have two very exciting new collections which are set to launch next year. One uses beautiful hand screen printed artworks on canvas created in East Africa, and the other is a special Amazon-friendly leather accessories collection from Brazil.

Who is your muse? Describe the woman who wears Bottletop.

The woman who wears bottletop is chic and conscientious.

Tell us about your favorite piece (or one of them) and where you were inspired to create it.

The Anja, which is a micro must-have bag. With the World Cup happening, we were inspired by the Brazilian color palette and its tropical landscape.

What do you love most about the city you live in? Please name your top 3 spots for shopping, eating, and sleeping.

We are based in London so we recommend places close to us:

Shopping: Spitalfields Market

Whether it's classic vinyl or vintage t shirts, Spitalfields market is an eclectic mix of cool, grassroots designers and record labels. Everyday there is a different market focus, so check the schedule before you arrive.

16 Horner Square, Spitalfields, London E1 6EW, United Kingdom, +44 20 7247 8556

Eating: St John's Bread and Wine

The most consistently creative way of using traditional English recipes with cuts of meat that have gone out of culinary fashion, reworked for the modern palette. A must for any visitor in London!

94-96 Commercial St, London, United Kingdom, +44 20 7251 0848

Sleeping: The Ace Hotel

A welcome addition to the area, it has a great club underneath.

100 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JQ, United Kingdom, +44 20 7613 9800

What are your upcoming summer travel and/or vacation plans?

We are officially launching Bottletop in Sao Paolo in August, so we will be revisiting the delights of Brazil. We're also launching in Toronto in July (this month)!