One might suspect Bottega Veneta of wanting to have its cake and eat it, too, by making a big ta-dah about showing next Spring’s men’s collection at its women’s show in Milan this September, yet then rolling it out for review in the showroom here now. However, the reason—a double anniversary of 50 years of the house and 15 years of Tomas Maier’s captaincy of it—is fair enough. In the showroom this collection looked worthy of a double celebration, too. The broader undercurrent was an exploration of 1930s and ’40s workwear shapes—luxurified, naturally—and peppered with house intrecciato details. A crinkled lamé biker in wind-blasted walnut tone was accented with ribboned intrecciato and hung on the rail above wide-legged high-waisted walnut cotton pants with a three-inch turn-up and deep burgundy faux monk-strap slip-on shoes. Irregular checked nylon jackets and treated merino knits patched with triangle patches—puzzle pieces—of mixed leathers betrayed Maier’s yen for considered richness.
Techno-moleskin pants were patch-pocketed and utilitarian of cut. Thirty percent silk suits had a subtle shine and were displayed to be worn above shirts of cotton bonded to knit with embroidered detailings. There was a Gabicci-ness to these cocktails of merino and leather. Cotton pants in a green pattern that looked hand-painted but weren’t had a camouflage meets Dutch print meets mid-century upholstery vibe to them. There were more bikers in camouflage, a mighty shamrock fils-on-fils woven jacket, and a stand-out dusty pink leisure suit. Crinkled cotton linen double-breasted suits in citrine were worn above a zippered-off yellow smock top. Techno moleskin returned in cinch-back worker’s pants. There was a fine double-bonded matte and shiny calf jacket. The shoes were predominantly saddleshoes served white of vamp and quarter.
The show in September will be in a special Milan venue—as yet unrevealed. It will be interesting to see how this collection of luxury povera threads though the intrecciato of whatever Maier is cooking up for womenwear.
