In the summer of 2012, Reuben Reuel decided to turn his dream into a reality. That dream was to start a fashion line that let him express his deep love for clothing, as well as his cultural heritage. What he created was Demestik, a clothing line characterized by bold African prints and natural, versatile cotton. Eight years later, Reuben Reuel has experienced the thrill of success, having dressed Beyonce in his designs not once, but five times.

In these trying times, it’s more important than ever to support creators and businesses that reflect our mission, and for us, that means a commitment to sustainability and natural fabrics, like cotton. Demestik shares these values, and we’re proud to shine a spotlight on this business.

For Reuben, a native of Virginia Beach, VA, his culture has always played an indelible role in his art. With roots in West Africa, Reuben found the greatest inspiration in utilizing a colorful array of West African prints in his bold, architectural designs, designs that are meant to make women feel as well as look beautiful. He also loves to work with cotton, a natural fabric that helps make his clothing more sustainable as well as ethically made. In this era of fast, disposable fashion, Reuben creates timeless, wearable pieces of art that are nevertheless accessible to the everyday woman.

We asked Reuben: why cotton? After all, we know the benefits of this versatile fiber, but what is it about cotton that appeals to a designer like Reuben?

He told us it’s the freedom of cotton that appeals to him: the freedom to create clothing designed for all seasons, and all purposes. And you can sense in his designs that this freedom comes through: Demestik features clothing that are meant to enhance your confidence, make you feel effortlessly chic and confident, wherever the day takes you.

In 2020, like so many other business owners, Reuben had to pivot his business strategy to remain relevant and supportive during an immensely difficult time. Instead of focusing on the potential setbacks and struggles, Reuben managed to find great joy by realizing how helpful he could be to others, and decided to start making cotton face masks using fabric he had on hand from past collections.

In the future, Reuben has high hopes for Demestik, and we can’t imagine for a second that he’ll fail to achieve any goals he sets. He sees Demestik becoming a well-known business and has a dream of more people enjoying the clothing and becoming “Demestik-ated,” a word he’s coined to indicate the confidence he hopes women gain from wearing his clothing.

We all know the power and confidence that clothing can lend to the wearer, and Demestik is a perfect example of the comfort of cotton going beyond our sweatpants and sheets. Reuben defines comfort as the ease of being oneself, and that confidence is the result of self-love. It’s the kind of pride in oneself that comes across in every one of Demestik’s designs, and one we’re proud to spotlight today.

To browse and shop Demestik, visit our Shop Cotton section or go straight to Demestik.com.

Contact Cotton Incorporated if you'd like to talk to us about promoting and featuring cotton.