BUTAN WEAR - MORE THAN JUST A CLOTHING LABEL

Writers Block spotting some Butan gear
A Butan promo poster

By Nick Kaoma

Seeing that Encore is fast entrenching itself as a prominent, cutting-edge urban culture and lifestyle brand, it is apt that we recognize people and brands that are working tirelessly to eradicate the status quo and push creative boundaries in the process. One such individual is Julian Kubel, the Cape Town-based founder and proprietor of the hot hip-hop inspired clothing label, Butan Wear.

I’m sure many of you have noticed the ubiquitous caps and tees with the name Butan emblazoned across them and have probably wondered as to what this brand is about. So we called up our man Julian and got the 411 on Butan – the genesis of the label, the brand essence, its alliance with underground hip hop, the future plans for the label and his fly new spring/summer collection.

Butan has been around for a minute and the brand has enjoyed support from notable local rappers and the public at large; how did the brand come to exist?
The label was founded in 2001, in response to the lack of any underground streetwear labels at the time in South Africa representing the lifestyle and philosophies of the underground Hip Hop movement. I believed it was necessary to create clothing that truly represents our own Hip Hop scene instead of some foreign lifestyles.

What’s the philosophy or design ethos behind Butan Wear?
The idea was to create a label that behaves like a living organism, changing and evolving with the times and influences posed by an ever changing underground street scene. Butan Wear is intended not to restrict itself to guidelines, which could make the brand stagnant and derivative.

There’s a bevy of other clothing brands aimed at the hip hop market, what makes yours different from the rest?
The intent is to create every Butan garment to be ahead of its time in terms of design, innovation and quality. I have chosen to build the brand in such a way, that it creates value not only for itself, but also for the direct/indirect contributors, which actually form the backbone of the business.
For Butan Wear the Hip Hop scene is not analyzed from the outside as a potential market and marketing platform. The brand has grown from within the scene and therefore creates value for its own roots, by business behaviour that enforces mutual growth. This ideology is carried forward in every aspect of the brand.


Tell us about your new range, I have peeped some pieces from the new collection and it is looking tight….

The new Spring/Summer range consists of fresh tees for both guys and girls, new styles and colours of the original Butan trucker caps, as well as New Era flat peak caps.

What was the inspiration behind the new collection?
There is never one particular inspiration behind an entire collection. Every item has got its own influences and history. There is however a common thread, evident throughout the range, which is largely an attempt to merge global street styles with a unique South African flavour. The goal of the range is to awaken people to the fact that that we as South Africans have exceptional ideas and styles, to create fashion that is on par and can compete with international brands. Support your own people and counteract economic imperialism!!

I have seen that the marketing of your brand is directly intertwined with a number of up and coming MCees; can you elaborate on your marketing strategy for Butan? And how would you eventually like your brand to be perceived?
Since Butan is an up and coming brand, it chooses to grow alongside up and coming artists. This again relates to our company’s ideology, which encourages mutual growth on every level. The brand should not be seen merely as a clothing label, but rather as part of the movement, which enables economic success for all involved, so we can do what we love best without having to starve.

On the business front, is the market receiving Butan as well as you’d like? And what are the plans for further growth?
Things don’t always go as planned, and growing a brand has proven itself to be far more difficult and challenging than expected. But, nothing good comes easy. Butan is not like your usual consumer brand, which is marketed as an easily digestible commodity. Things take time, and I am up for the challenge, because ultimately I know it is developing into something great, and many people will benefit from it. Let’s just say watch this space!

For other guys and girls who want to get into the industry, what advise would you impart on them? What are some of the things that they ought to look out for in order to succeed in this industry?
As a person with some experience in the industry, I would start by saying that the clothing industry is one of the toughest to be in. But, if you are determined to make it and you truly love fashion design then by all means go for it and prove your critics wrong.
It’s hard to tell what people need to look out for, but one pointer is to never give up, even if things are going extremely wrong. Perseverance and self motivation are key!

Do you have any plans for international expansion?
This is a question that is really hard to answer at this stage, since the brand needs to properly penetrate the South African market before it can spread across Mzansi’s boarders. But in due course that is definitely what I aspire
towards and it would be rewarding to see our brand appreciated and valued on an international level.

Giveaway
Butan and Encore are giving away two tees and two caps from the new Spring/Summer Collection (see picture below), all you have do to win one of these fab prizes is write to us at info@encoremag.co.za and answer this simple question, what makes Butan Wear a hot street clothing brand? Also include your contact details and physical/postal address.

The winners will be announced on Monday, 02 September 2007.