Meet the Clothing Designer Whose Muse is an Island (And Shop Our Favorite Looks!)
Lotty Bunbury designs patterns for her Pink House Mustique and Lotty B clothing lines in an aptly named gingerbread cottage on the Caribbean isle. We talked with Bunbury about the island that is her muse.
Q&A with Lotty
What brought you the 4,000 miles from London to Mustique?
LB: We came out 24 years ago when my husband took a job as the island doctor. He thought it might be a bit of fun for a year, but we just stayed and stayed. It was the most idyllic lifestyle for bringing up a family; when my children were small, the island was their playground.
What defines Mustique style?
LB: People dress for comfort—you never see someone in a tie on Mustique! You can put on a pair of heels and a fabulous dress or throw the heels off and dance barefoot in a sarong and bikini. Those two people are at the same party.
How did you start designing clothes?
LB: I had taken some silk and silk paints to Mustique and thought I could paint a few sarongs. That grew into maybe 10 a year—in the early days, I'd hand-paint each one. I set up a little website, and I'd get orders in from people saying, "I'd like a caftan this long and this wide," and I'd paint it up and send it to them.
Where do you find your inspiration?
LB: Nearly all the prints come from something I see on the island. Recently down on Macaroni Beach, my family saw a huge shadow in the water, so we put on our snorkel masks and followed it into the reef. It turned out to be a giant spotted eagle ray, and it was such an amazing sight that I went in that evening and started work on a new ray print right away.
Our Favorite Looks
1. Lotty B Silk Charmeuse Long Scarf in Sand Dollar Repeat Coral, $120
2. Pink House Mustique Men's Trunk in Seagrape Green and Blue, $147
3. Lotty B Kaftan in Shark Grey, $395
4. Pink House Mustique Men's Shirt in Seagrape Blue and Pink, $160
5. Pink House Mustique Women's Linen Dress in Seahorse Blue, $147
