When it comes to Bottega Veneta’s studied, expertly paced Fall ’13 show, it’s most fitting to start with the end: a 24-karat gold and diamond knot-topped clutch closed a stellar collection from the house. Small in scale and immense in impact, it’s something of a metaphor for Tomas Maier’s design philosophy.
Not one to seek the spotlight, Maier silently and effectively keeps his house at the top of the luxury-market game by making beautiful things we want – without the help of a single tweet or Instagram. And in today’s over-saturated, information-overloaded world, it is a welcome change of pace (I know; shocking from a girl who has made a career of social media). It just goes to show, you don’t need to talk the talk when you’ve got the goods to back it all up.
Innovation, technology and uncompromising quality: this is what it’s all about. Soft crocodile trimmed with metal (never too shiny, never gauche), via the Ardoise; the unlikely combination of raffia, wool, and mesh; and the Ayers in watersnake all make for standout pieces that tempt with a whisper, not a shout.
The ready-to-wear offers similar effects. Beautifully constructed pieces that are form-fitting without confining the body make for investment classics. The petal-like fold of a structured shoulder, a series of pleats to elevate a wool dress into something deeply covetable, and artful, abstract embellishments with no hint of gratuity: think sharp yet not severe. For Bottega Veneta, it’s all in the details, and for the Fall season, Maier’s produced a collection worthy of Marlene Dietrich while managing to exude thorough modernity.
Image Credit: Style.com and Vogue.com
gorgeous