If Tomas Maier's Fall collection for Bottega Veneta was an exploration of the power woman's working wardrobe, Cruise is about, well, the power woman on holiday. That isn't to say there weren't some viable options for the city: a couple of slouchy takes on the fantastic double-breasted suits Maier put on the runway in February, for example, or a black sleeveless dress with a fitted rubber bodice and a full leather skirt. But for the most part, this was a leave-the-beach-and-toss-it-on kind of lineup, from a black nylon all-in-one to a magma red draped double-face silk dress to a washed leather jacket on top of sporty shorts. Cut from colorful Lycra, the T-shirts looked like ultrachic rash guards.
A relaxed sense of ease extended into evening as well, with a great-looking black tank gown slit up the side to reveal a flash of white fabric underneath. Maier paired it with lace-up gladiator sandals. Most of the shoes in the collection are forgivingly flat, save for an innovative brown suede sock/stacked-heel sandal combo. As for the bags, there's a lot of that all-important "newness," from a rubber bonded suede satchel to a completely seamless woven leather cube-shaped messenger. The hands-down winner, though, was the giant rubberized python tote. It might cost as much as a vacation rental, but that never stopped the Maier client before. Last week, a made-to-order event at the Fifth Avenue store was mobbed with women shopping for five-figure Bottega trophies.
