Bottega Veneta turn modest materials into a truly beautiful collection.
Under Tomas Maier, Bottega Veneta has blossomed into luxury fashion's most adroit generator of understated high-design desirability. This company's artisinally meshed leather goods have driven a 46 per cent jump in profit during 2012 - the first year in which it notched up US$1 billion in sales. This morning Maier presented a collection that exemplified his softly spoken philosophy.
Working with modest materials - woollen flannels and felt - Maier managed to rustle up clothes that were far more compelling than the Swarovski scattered, fur swathed, decadently decorated Milan norm. Fold and drape, pleats and proportion, monochrome with the odd reddishsplash - all were masterfully deployed. High waisted 1950s Secretary jumpers in cashmere above pleated flannel skirts were teamed with smaller than usual bags in softened crocodile and lace- up high heeled boots. There was a lot of distressed seaming and expressively visible stitching as Maier used the imprint of construction as a form of introspective embellishment. Seriously beautiful stuff.
