The new creative director of Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy, has created a debut collection that seamlessly balances Bottega’s house codes with the brand’s reinvigoration that was ushered in by Daniel Lee. After Lee’s sudden departure in November of 2021, there was much anticipation as to how Blazy would take the reins of Bottega in his first showing for Fall 2022 ready-to-wear — his answer was an approachable collection, lifted up by strong materialization and an effortless flex of coded luxury.
As described by Blazy, the collection was “to bring back energy, a silhouette that really expressed motion.” This idea of expressed motion was employed in silhouettes that are pulled back, from the rounded backs of jackets to the show’s most exciting piece, a leather skirt with a gaggle of fringe exploding from underneath. Blazy’s accessories feel like a more refined version of Lee’s cabinet of curiosities. There was a lot of focus on the house’s signature intricate leatherwork, from huge over-the-knee boots to bags in more classic silhouettes. In what felt like an ode to Blazy’s time working at Céline, a standout was oversized fur-covered bright orange wedges.
Bottega Veneta is traditionally a “stealth wealth” brand, making clothing that is not concerned with logomania or uber-obvious branding. Lee’s work was not embellished with logos, yet it became glaringly obvious when someone was wearing a piece from his Bottega Veneta. Blazy has settled back into the tradition of Bottega, more coded than loud, while simultaneously holding off the oddities that Lee introduced. This balancing act is crucial to designing wearable clothing while keeping people interested.
Blazy is a designer with a storied resumé, from working at Maison Margiela, alongside Raf Simons at Calvin Klein and at Phoebe Philo’s Céline, all by the age of just 35. Fashion moves at such a fast pace that it becomes easy to constantly compare a designer to its predecessor. With a new creative director that has been working behind the scenes at so many successful brands, I am excited to see how Blazy continues to build on top of his first collection. This show felt like a great place to start — an ode to Bottega’s history and a window into how the brand will move forward.
Words by Nicholson Baird.
Graphic by Emily Tobias.