Resin, rust, alabaster and opal were just some of the colors on display at Bottega Veneta this season, the most disciplined yet experimental of any major Italian luxury brand.
For fall 2011, BV’s creative director Tomas Maier took plenty of risks, and when they worked it made for some truly memorable and fresh takes on modern dressing.
A series of ergonomic, plaster or black nylon coats and jackets nipped at the neck had panache and plausibility on display at Bottega Veneta. On a chilly weekend in Milan, they looked ideal to wear right out the door of this show, staged Saturday, Feb. 26, in the brand’s austere south Milan headquarters.
Maier also really hit his stride for evening, with the best set of cocktail dresses seen so far in this autumn season. Made of lace over layers of printed silk, and worn with a great set array of silver eye earrings and brooches, they were a wonderful combination of snazzy chic and dreamlike poise. You could tell the models, sporting ever-so bedraggled bouffant haircuts, loved marching out in these looks – clothes that made them both ladylike and alluring.
However, this was very much a hit and miss collection, with a less than appealing opening series of bulky, big-buttoned boucle wool looks that were not all that flattering even on the slim line models.
Maier was trying a bit too hard in his finale with conceptual corseted and mini crinoline evening gowns where the arty concept clobbered the clothes.
However, Bottega Veneta really delivered the goods when it came to another great series of handbags, from sporty mid-sized totes in washed ostrich to satchels in washed out velvet.