Bottega Veneta’s Odyssey Just Conquered Winter: A Runway Review

“I loved the idea of a parade in Italy; a procession, a strange carnival, a crowd of people from anywhere and everywhere, and yet somehow, they all fit and go in the same direction. I wanted to look at what makes people gather together in a place without hierarchy, where everyone is invited” states Matthieu Blazy, the creative director for Bottega Veneta. 

Carrying on from his triumph from his previous collections at Bottega, Matthieu converses frequently about his discussions when it comes to diversity. In the fashion industry, that can be a difficult conversation to start, especially with all the controversies that come out constantly from luxury brands and their tokenism, but for Matthieu Blazy, being able to showcase fashion for every occasion is his primary focus.

Indeed, this collection was magnificent for its stature, incorporating historic mythology into the set design (like the additional of the Boccioni statue or the various Roman bronzes that dated back to 1BC) while interweaving recognisable silhouettes on the runway for all. Every look was vastly different, declaring Bottega’s push for inclusivity and its impact on garment creation for luxury fashion.

Street-styled garments was the focus on the runway, with dresses, matching jackets and trousers, turtlenecks, over-shirts and overcoats littering the catwalk, but what made this collection so special was the purposeful modifications that Blazy added to elevate these looks into the luxury sphere — Look 33 and 39 detailed a layered dress in different colours, feathered at the chest piece that connected to the arms to juxtapose the fabric with its straps. As the model walked down the runway, the seam underneath the side of the dress unveiled pockets on both sides, incorporating utility into the collection to showcase that you don’t need to lose convenience to wear a garment so flattering and that ready-to-wear should be practical in every instance.

A highlight from the collection was the various materials used to showcase different personalities. Variety was at its peak, with leather incorporating a lot of the looks either as the forefront material or a complimentary design. Blazy said in an interview with Vogue that he was looking for ‘light, unconstrained fabrics’, shaving the leather down to make it more weightless. The accessories in the collection were striking and explorative, from evening bags made out of silver and leather, clogs, roped bags and staple thigh high boots. Favourite look was Look 32, with the model walking down the runway in dramatic tan thigh-high heels that cut perfectly to show the upper thigh, contrasting with the structured black coat and matching turtle neck. An effortless look that cut the human body perfectly in movement. 

This collection, or, most of his collections that he has done for Bottega, explore a fundamental conversation on collection construction — must collections always be for some specific style of clientele? 

Yes, most clients will want to look recognisable for a brand that they love, but should staples really dominant seasons, especially when they are so vastly different? These collections showcase that using non-monogram patterns as a way of glueing different collections together can be achievable under the right construction, and that making clothing for all types of people can still fall under the category of luxury when modified in a luxurious way. In a way, these collections allow the clothing to speak for itself in a old-money format, hidden under the regular radar unless you are entrenched in the brands collections. This takes exclusivity underground, just like luxury clientele perceives it to be. 

However, with social media converting luxury houses into statement motifs, could this be the slow turn back for brands to be less visible under the un-trained eye? Is Bottega eliminating the pretentious elements of luxury fashion and focusing on the genuine?

There is so much to be excited for, and, with this collection being the end of his Italian trilogy, many (including myself) are very excited to see where he goes next. 

See the full collection here.