Bottega Veneta Women’s FW’11-12
For fall, Bottega Veneta presents a collection from Milan Fashion week poised between restraint and exuberance. Juxtaposing clean lines with elaborate surfaces, it aims not for balance but for a synthesis of unlike elements, with each refined piece of clothing and relaxed accessory containing within it a wealth of detail, technique, and embellishment.
The palette is vivid and bright, grounded in the lustrous white of Canova plaster. Colors range from pale yellow to deep red and include jasper, topaz, resina, fire opal, corniola, garnet, and rust, illuminated with flashes of peridot green. The silhouette is measured and gentle, a single line that starts from a soft shoulder and finishes in a slight A. Last season’s imperceptible tailoring has evolved, more conspicuous now in skirt suits topped with narrow anoraks or light coats. The collection encompasses a broad range of materials, from fuzzy woven wool blends to plush, dimensional woolens, waxed leather, and
light sleek nylons and silk. In all cases the focus is on the surface, which is transformed with fabric overlays, enhanced with embroidery, and obscured with overprinting.
Handbags are sporty and relaxed in shape, elaborately hand-worked in construction. Mixes of material add to the eccentric effect, illustrated, for example, in a satchel made of acid-rinsed silk velvet, hand-painted python, and washed ostrich. Shoes are similarly minimal in shape and extravagantly crafted, as in sandals with high, skinny heels that have been printed, handpainted, or adorned with lace.
Jewelry offers a mix of scale, technique, color, and mood. The jewelry, mostly small and delicate, is made from blackened silver with black and champagne colored stones. There are cuffs and necklaces made of silver lace, and earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings adorned with “painted” eyes—the image is achieved using a dye-sublimation technique–that have a surreal edge.
“Designing this collection was like being in a laboratory,” says Creative Director Tomas Maier. “We wanted to push the boundaries, to experiment with technique and craftsmanship to an extreme degree. I felt the right canvas for this kind of innovative workmanship was a silhouette that was clean and uncomplicated. The result is very particular, with a mix of control and passion that I think reflects the mood of the moment.”
For more information, please visit www.bottegaveneta.com
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