To wear a piece from Diotima is to wear a part of designer and founder Rachel Scott’s (she/her) personal history. The brand, which launched in 2021 and features seasonally interchangeable pieces like striped cotton-and-crepe A-line midi skirts, and crystal-encrusted mesh knit tanks, is crafted between Scott’s home country of Jamaica and her homebase New York. With an emphasis on crochet, a technique with deep ties to the Caribbean, Scott is “seeking to place an emphasis on labor, supporting and amplifying artisanal communities,” as she said in a recent interview for Nordstrom, creating “moments of tension in color, texture, and silhouette.” In doing so, the designer pushes back on stereotypes about what style from this region looks like, melding traditional and contemporary pieces that are adored by celebs like Keke Palmer, Doja Cat and Gabrielle Union. On the heels of a big 2023, during which Scott was awarded the CFDA Emerging Designer award, she debuted at New York Fashion Week with a stunning spring 2024 collection. As for the next five years? “The collections will be more exciting and newer than ever as we continue to reposition craft,” she tells R29. “Maybe we will have a retail space in NYC.” We’ll be first in line when it opens.
Photo Credit: Deirdre Lewis
