I want to be bold – otherwise, what’s the point?
Bottega Veneta’s creative director, Daniel Lee, made his debut for the heritage Italian brand in February. After huge critical acclaim, his sophomore show, Bottega Veneta Spring 2020, was one of the most awaited happenings during Milan Fashion Week. He did not disappointed.
The hyped designer respectfully rewrote the rule book set by Tomas Maier, the former creative director, who helped built Bottega Veneta into one of the most reliable luxury brands under the Kering umbrella.
His previous collection took the best parts form his former work at Celine, where he was Phoebe Philo’s assistant, and therefore immediately clicked with the customers. Commercially, it was a success with sold out pieces and waiting lists. Editorially he was everywhere and Bottega Veneta’s square-toe shoes and leather handbags were spotted in magazines and Instagram feeds around the world.
So, for next season, Lee is sticking with what he already knows that works and adding some surprises.
The Bottega Veneta spring 2020 collection evolves the codes at Bottega Veneta, so the focus is on the process and clarity which is immediate and direct. This collection plays with the proportion, the soft structure cutting through tension and technique with a new and clean facility.
The show’s first menswear look was a short suit, with an oversized jacket and black Intrecciato slippers. These shoes are in short, the male version of the slide heels that everyone’s wearing this fashion month. The following looks featured materials in their purest form. For example, wood, leather and cotton transformed into denim, intricate knitwear and oversized outerwear. Classicism contrasts modernism with refined techniques like knot, fabric, and point.
The color balance was calm, bold and rich. Certainly, it was defined in black, chocolate brown, gold, tapioca, in addition to orange and blue tones. The accessories like the shoes and the small sunglasses stood out with an attitude of beauty and comfort. In other words, without compromises and structure contrasts are essential.
Bottega Veneta Spring 2020 reflects heat, desire, joy, and celebration, in conclusion, an elevated reality in which to live. “I want to be bold – otherwise what’s the point?” said Lee. “I want to make a statement – I don’t see the point in making fashion that doesn’t say something. You love it or you hate it but that’s human nature.”
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