When was Butan Wear founded?
Butan was officially founded in 2006 but has its humble beginnings in 2001 when I printed 20 odd tees for my schoolmates with a simple design I had sketched in my black book. I went on to study engineering, but uninspired by the engineering field and fueled by the passion for design and streetwear, I decided to start my own street wear brand after finishing my degree. With only R2000 to play with ($270), the brand was carefully built by putting every cent back into the business. Every aspect of the business is self-taught and it's been a journey full of obstacles. The cheapest learning you will ever do is in school. But the perseverance and holding onto my dream has paid off. Butan is now becoming one of the biggest streetwear labels in South Africa and there is no stopping us now. Watch this space!
Please talk briefly about your products
We started off with tshirts and have since expanded our product offering to head wear, ladies tops, sweaters, hoodies and pants. We are planning a much wider range for Spring 2011 and by Winter 2012 we are planning to launch our first denim and sneaker range.
Why did you choose to focus on the underground hip hop culture?
Underground hip hop culture holds the core principles of hip hop culture as a whole. It is in the underground where the essence and the "DNA" of the culture is carried forward and protected. Real hip hop heads have an in depth understanding of this culture and its history and roots. Most importantly, hip hop heads are loyal to their culture and are not following hip hop as a trend. Mainstream hip hop,as much as it's also an important part of the spectrum,does not necessitate this kind of loyalty and consistency. A lot of kids these days will listen to hip hop because its trendy but the lack of understanding of the culture that brought the movement about in the first place.
You are a clothing company with tight connections with the music industry. Please tell us more about this.
In our brand philosophy it says, "Butan is more than just a clothing label, it is an integral part of hip hop culture". What is meant by that is that the label grew from within the culture and was not a separate entity that saw hip hop as an opportunity to market its goods. Dressing and working with hip hop artists is a natural element of what we do as we form part of the culture as a whole. Music is the voice of the culture and our gear is a visual reflection and representation of the culture and the lifestyle associated with it.
Besides music, what other collabs does Butan Wear have?
It goes without saying that we also work with cats that represent other elements of the hip hop fraternity. We work closely with two bboy crews: "Hand Brak Turn" from Cape Town and "Most Wanted Crew" from Jozi. This year we are also in talks with a graff crew to do some collaborative projects. Unfortunately the elements are often quite segregated, but hip hop gets really exciting when the elements work together in unison. I believe that we as a label have the power to create certain dialogues and work on projects that bring the various elements closer together.
In terms of design we are busy creating an exciting collab range with a world famous designer/illustrator. This range will be launched in Spring this year . Unfortunately we cannot reveal any further details at this moment but it will be a truly mind-blowing project.
You participated in Joburg Fashion Week this year. Was this the first time?
For the first time ever Joburg Fashion Week put together a project called "FASTRACK DAY" aimed at showcasing SA streetwear. The event took place at Fashion Kapitol in the centre of Jozi and featured a selection of local streetwear brands. Instead of merely having models walk the runway, we decided to stage a hip hop performance with the Mcees rocking the gear. This was pulled off in the form of Dubula 2.0 (Remix) by Slikour feat. Kabelo, Kwesta, ProVerb, Khuli Chana, AKA and JR, and the Most Wanted Crew showing their skillz on the catwalk.
It was anything but what you would expect from an ordinary fashion showcase, yet the crowd response was overwhelming. It is exactly the kind of edge that we want to have. Butan is not like every other label out there. We do things our own way.
Besides SA and Switzerland, do you have another international market?
Not as yet, but we are planning to take our brand overseas within the next two years. Our main focus at this stage is to make our gear more available across South Africa and neighbouring countries. In fact, we have just signed a distribution deal with The Cross Trainer, a major South African retail chain. So we are fast approaching this goal.
What has made your brand successful and survived where others have come and gone?
I guess the key factors have been perseverance and holding onto our dream of making it in this tough industry. But on an operational level and in terms of product offering, I guess its most important to stay relevant and to accept change. If you stay stagnant and refuse to go with the times, you will get left behind. So in saying this I believe its about constantly reinventing oneself as well as the brand, and most importantly to consider the market and the people around you. Always listen to criticism, it is there to help you improve, not put you down.
Finally, what are your plans for the coming few years?
Well, as already mentioned above, we are busy expanding our reach within South Africa and plan to take Butan overseas within the next two years. Most importantly though we are planning on creating a wider product offering and proliferate our designs, by bringing on select featured designers and by doing various collab ranges. In the end, its all about having fun.
As the label grows, we're seeing more possibilities in terms of marketing, throwing events and getting involved in many more aspects of the ever growing hip hop scene and culture. These are exciting times for local streetwear labels and I feel blessed and honored to be part of it all.
THANKS JULIAN FOR CHATTING WITH FASHION ET AL. WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRING, AND I HOPE OUR READERS TAKE SOMETHING VALUABLE FROM THIS INTERVIEW AND IMPLEMENT IT IN THEIR LIVES.
LOVE, FANELE
