26 February 2024 |
As anyone who has ever been on a long trip away from home can attest to, sometimes you need a vacation from your vacation. Returning exhausted, it can feel like your life requires a simplified rebirth back to the mundane. In some ways that can be said of Bottega Veneta’s Matthieu Blazy. Last season he took us traveling across the globe with a worldly wardrobe to match. But for fall 2024, he prefers to stay put, thinking of how the everyday can be equally as alluring while pragmatic — it’s real clothes for the everyday, at least if your everyday featured impeccable tailoring and luxe materials.
The stark landscape images in the teaser should have given us a hint to Blazy’s intent. Per the show notes, he found that this burnt, barren environment is the perfect setting for regeneration. It’s like the forest after a fire — new life emerges out of the ashes. In this new life, there are new essentials, including clothing. In Blazy’s mind this is about what real people want to wear when they have somewhere to go and something to do. The opening look served to reinforce that idea, as it consisted of a sleek black coat worn over matching trousers. From there the show segued into more wearable, stylish clothing in the form of cozy long coats, jackets worn over skirts, cozy knits, and two-tone dresses. In muted colors like tan, olive, gray, red, white, and black, the palette is somber yet still filled with moments of light and hope.
Last season featured handcrafted looks that were meant to draw the eye — who could forget those basketweave pom pom dresses? This season is more subdued with moments of embellishment. One print is dubbed the memory print, made from layers of passport stamps, and serves as a callback to spring 2024. Another is inspired by notebook paper, intended to convey the idea of writing a new feature. While the majority of the looks reference Blazy’s desire to keep things utilitarian and practical, there are still eye-catching moments. A fringed red dress as well as a black-and-white swishy skirt at the end are definitely editorial catnip, destined to be in magazine spreads.
It wouldn’t be a Bottega show without great accessories and as always Blazy doesn’t disappoint. The bags and shoes were meant to feel non-disposable, classics that could be inherited and also passed down over time. To that end the brand introduced the new Liberta bag while standbys like the Andiamo, Hop, and Cabat also made appearances. Jewelry, a category that performs exceedingly well for the brand, was also a focus. Made from ceramic, glass, wood, leather, and stone, they reference the sturdy materials that remain after the landscape has burned and renewed itself. “Here, elegance is resilience,” says Blazy.
Photography courtesy of Bottega Veneta.
