The Hitchcock blondes have exited the frame. After Fall's trip back to the sixties, Bottega Veneta's Tomas Maier is in a forward-thinking state of mind for Resort. It doesn't get much fresher than a hot pink silk shirtgown cinched with a corset that looks like it could double as a parachute belt, unless, that is, you're talking about an equally weightless, imminently packable shift in multiple layers of color-blocked chiffon.
Ease was an important theme here, as it usually is in Maier's Cruise collections. The man lives part-time in Palm Beach, so he has a good feel for the kind of clothes women want in hot climates, but he juxtaposed softness with city-ready structure. A pair of corseted and boned body-con dresses stood out even though the designer played it cool by teaming them with understated little leather jackets. Another pair of opposites: neutrals and hyper-saturated colors. A simple taupe shift was embellished with turquoise chiffon down its front, and a trim, tan leather coat came accessorized with a red nappa leather tote. Speaking of accessories, the new bags have a lived-in feel. Foil, for example, is inserted between two layers of nappa leather to give the materials a memory. Stiff and lifeless aren't part of Maier's Resort equation.
