Bottega Veneta has an outstanding class that brings it to the forefront of the Milan schedule, whatever the season and whatever direction Tomas Maier takes. For he is a designer that shrugs off anything he doesn’t deem “Bottega” with no strings attached. “Sports-luxe” is bandied about far too much, deplorably so this season in New York, London, already in Milan and will be in Paris no doubt, in fact, even typing it makes my fingers freeze into rigor mortis, but when Maier takes a crack at it with an otherworldly grace, it goes beyond what we unfortunately know it as, he gives us bashful and beautiful garments. Remember that outstanding class I mentioned?
The most wonderful thing he did was to blend it so surreptitiously with Bottega’s classically informal formal-wear too, making us want to get physical in Maier’s stylish active-wear in a split second, and why not in suede, macramé and gingham wrap dresses too, whilst we’re at it.
The luxury house did their part for chic dresses with versatile femininity in a myriad of mid-century classic forms that recalled something of a distressed housewife shift, also decorated with brilliant sparkly embellishments, certainly not aiming to limit our options. That was something else as well this season, because if there’s ever been a high fashion salvation that doesn’t disappoint in a plenitude of variety with consistence, it’s this one, plus if there’s ever been a collection that proves it, it’s this one.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Style.com