Desigual and Botter collaborate on 'High Tides' capsule collection

Madrid – Desigual is staying true to its roots while embracing fresh creative expressions within the framework of traditional clothing. The brand has teamed up with Dutch label Botter to create a collaborative capsule collection, available first to members of the Desigual Club.

Originally announced in mid-July by the Spanish brand and FashionUnited, the collection was scheduled to debut on 26 August. However, Desigual revised its rollout strategy, opting for a two-phase launch. The first phase began on Tuesday, 19 August, granting Desigual Club members exclusive early access to the pieces. The full collection will then be released to all customers on 28 August.

Titled “High Tides”, the collection marks Desigual’s first collaboration with Dutch design duo Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter. The creative pair headed Nina Ricci —one of Puig’s portfolio brands— from August 2018 to February 2022. In April, they were appointed creative directors of G-Star Raw. They have also led their own fashion house, Botter, since its founding in 2017. While focusing on G-Star, they continue to explore new creative avenues, as demonstrated by this collaboration with Desigual. “High Tides” merges Botter’s Caribbean and Desigual’s Mediterranean influences, using water as a unifying element.

“‘High Tides’ draws on Botter’s Caribbean roots and Desigual’s Mediterranean spirit, using water as a central metaphor,” Desigual explained in a statement. In this collaborative collection, “the sea becomes a symbol of unity and fluidity, reminding us that although geography may separate us, shared emotion, culture, and humanity unite us”. This message is embodied in Desigual’s Barcelona roots. The collection is presented as “a dialogue between cultures and identities”. Each garment channels a spirit of recreation, where previously separate elements unite to form a bold and coherent new language. The pieces explore the emotional and cultural connection that unites people, not only through cut or materials but through the idea of water as a fluid and unifying force.

Marine animals, reclaimed sequins and unisex cuts

With these metaphysical concepts as a guide, the collection’s physical and material aspects come into focus. It features a watery colour palette of cool and fluid tones. Various intensities of blues dominate, from aquamarine and cyan to navy and imperial. These are complemented by midnight black, smoke grey, and sunset yellow.

Figurative prints of sharks, turtles, dolphins, and coastal sunsets complete the colour spectrum. These illustrations, perhaps the collection’s weakest point, lack originality. However, Desigual and Botter justify their presence. They highlight the connection between the sea, the brands, and people. They also showcase the collection’s sustainable focus through the use of recycled and certified materials. These include a blend of technical and fluid fabrics, reused plastic sequins, and Desigual’s signature patchwork featuring the Desigual and Botter names.

Key unisex pieces include tops and dresses in mixed technical and fluid fabrics; long and short jeans with noughties-style marine sunset prints; fitted T-shirts with marine motifs; Desigual patchwork T-shirts; an original open dress with a trompe-l'oeil zipper effect of a denim skirt and knit jumper; and deconstructed inside-out trousers and skirts. Standout items include a sequinned dress with a dolphin illustration, a striped shirt dress with a turtle illustration, and a white striped shirt with an “I Love Barcelona” heart motif. Accessories include caps, keyrings, sandals, and various bag styles.

“Designed with a unisex approach, the collection pushes the boundaries of conventional fashion and reinterprets pieces from the Desigual archive through Botter’s visual language,” Desigual summarised. The result is deconstructed tailoring, expanded silhouettes, and flexible, ethereal structures. Inspired by Arte Povera, the collection embraces imperfection and process. This is evident in the unfinished hems, exposed seams, and raw textures, contributing to its avant-garde, DIY aesthetic. “In this collection, there are no certainties, only exploration,” Desigual stated. The “High Tides” capsule invites wearers to challenge the limits of dress by layering, deconstructing, mixing, and reinterpreting garments according to their taste.