The Latvian model Inguna Butane has lived in Ibiza for over a decade; her home is a fairy-tale house tucked away in the pine-clad hills of the south. After a twenty-year international modelling career, she has recently launched her own clothing label, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ingunacollection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inguna Collection</a>, which draws on inspiration from her adopted island home.

You seem to have created a wonderful life here. Have you been coming to Ibiza for a long time?

My husband I have been coming here for 15 years. We got married here! I always dreamt of living here because big cities are not for me. I just love nature and people and the connections that happen between people in Ibiza are just magical. It was a natural choice to come here when my son was very small. Now we live in Es Cubells, on the other side of the mountain. We are totally off grid &ndash; no electricity, just solar panels and a generator. Our water is delivered by a truck. We try to be conscious and sustainable.

Is it true that you used to live in a houseboat? You have a great sense of adventure!

Yes, when we lived in Paris we lived in a boat on the river. It was quite a different lifestyle! More recently - during the pandemic - we bought an old Dodge van and we have been restoring it. It&rsquo;s really cool, seventies-style. We travel in it everywhere with our son. We sleep in it. This summer we&rsquo;re going to drive to visit some friends in Bordeaux. We&rsquo;re nomadic. I moved continuously for 20 years for work, and I can still pack up my belongings in an hour and be ready to leave. I'm very easy like that. I&rsquo;m totally open for new experiences.

You&rsquo;ve just launched a clothing label &ndash; Inguna Collection. What was the inspiration behind your shift into design?

When we were in Paris a few years ago I went to this embroidery school called Ecole Lesage. It&rsquo;s where they do embroidery for Chanel, Balmain and all the major couture houses. It was my dream to learn how to do that. So, I learned, and I didn't know really what to do with it. Then, in Ibiza, my inspiration came. So, the foundation of the brand is the shirts, white men's shirts, which are actually for girls and boys. They have designs embroidered by hand on them. I do the embroidery and the drawings are all by my son when he was small. I kept a huge file of his drawings and I choose the ones I love. There are also sweatshirts and t-shirts too, easy and more affordable pieces. It feels good to be creating again. After 20 years it&rsquo;s good to move on. In Paris I was always taking pictures and I still love it so maybe - who knows - one day I&rsquo;ll do that too!

You always seem to be on the go. What does your day in Ibiza look like?

First I do the school run with my son. It&rsquo;s good to have that routine and it's a dream come true for him growing up here. Then I love to hike, and I do my Pilates in nature. Often, I go to the beach. And then we see a lot of our friends. We love to do dinners, either at home at our place and or we go to other people's houses. I&rsquo;m vegetarian so I do mainly lots of salads and healthy stuff, or sometimes my husband and I host a cous-cous night together. My new thing is crepes! I bought this crepe kit and it&rsquo;s become the new thing and now everyone is asking for it! So, I make my crepes. They are fantastic. We like to go to the restaurants in winter when it's very cosy and candlelit. Restaurants in summer are more complicated - everything is booked, and we don't enjoy it as much. So, in summer we mostly go on the boat, and we do a little picnic, or we have dinners at home. Also, I love to dance, but I love to dance at private parties, and these are happening more and more on the island. These are the most beautiful moments. I enjoy everything I can. Life can be hard sometimes, so I think we must try to enjoy every minute. The moment is now.

Island Girl: Inguna Butane’s lo-fi Ibiza life

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