For six months I enjoyed doing nothing, sitting on the sofa watching TV and cooking. So, at some point I needed to stop: I took a few months off to relax and was expecting to go back to work. I only took three weeks of holiday in that time. After six years working here in London I was really exhausted. Moving to London was always one of my many dreams. I started in Milan but after a few years they relocated me to London. I used to be a financial lawyer at an international law firm. What about your background? Tell me about your professional journey. It’s one of the most popular streets within London and one of the world’s most iconic shopping destinations! We’re one of the first stores on the street with sustainability as a key part of the brand DNA. ![]() ![]() ![]() Why does the brand trade on Regent Street? Every day is an opportunity to educate people who are interested, talking about sustainability and the social conscience of the brand. But whatever I do, the main task is to engage the audience with the story, the products and the collections. Quite frequently we have events, so I’m involved in the planning and the PR, etc. I’m the store supervisor so I spend most of my day at the Regent Street shop. So, tell me about your role, what does a normal day look like for you? I’ve known the founders, Oliver and Cameron, for many years, but I started actively working with the company almost three years ago. How long have you been working for the company? One of the first things they ask about is sustainability: what is the material from, is it ‘upcycled’, where do you source it, where is it made? So, the scene is finally growing, especially in the UK. The ethical and sustainable scene is growing – especially for millennial consumers. Has the sustainable fashion industry grown since BOTTLETOP started? The paint enamel took us three years to develop and it’s a mix of varnish, paint and primer. They are cleaned and polished, for the enamel collection they are all hand-printed and lacquered on both sides. The selected ones are filed and removed from the cans. We use around 30% of the ring pulls and the rest are recycled. How much is used and what happens to the rest? We buy used ring pulls and then our team of artisans select which ones can be used. Everything is made in Brazil, in our atelier. They collect the plastic, mainly from India, then they clean it and cut it down into filaments. The idea was to use design to empower the community, and to recycle and up-cycle sustainable materials into luxury products.įor the plastic, we work with a company based in the Netherlands, called Re-flow. We involved a community of 15-20 artisans in the Bahia region. Back then, we were making bags from the actual bottle tops in Brazil. We’re a British luxury sustainable brand, started in 2002. We sat down with Anna to talk about her journey from working as a corporate lawyer in the City to fighting on the fashion frontline for a more ethical approach to shopping. ![]() In today’s world, where sustainability is as important as ever, Anna and BOTTLETOP’s work is an important stepping-stone from a buzzword to a business ethic that everyone aspires to. Here you can buy handbags made from ring pulls, either as elegant clutches or functional iPad cases, in the knowledge that you are supporting craftsmen and women from developing areas across the globe. As the world's first 3D printed store, created by robots using up-cycled plastic, it’s a stunning visual experience when stepping in from the vibrancy of Regent Street outside. The store itself has its own exciting story to tell. She’s explaining the brand’s unique take on luxury, its sustainable bags and products that are attracting worldwide attention. Her hand movements are expressive, her smile genuine and warm. Annapaola Di Prisco is standing behind the counter talking to a customer when we walk into the BOTTLETOP store on Regent Street.
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