The Bottega Veneta fall 2023 runway rounds out what new creative director Matthieu Blazy has dubbed the “Italia” trilogy of shows, a series of collections meant to bring together Italy’s past, present and future in one cohesive fashion vision. What makes this third in the series so special is that it’s about bringing together all different kinds of people under one umbrella, reimagining what it means to be chic.
“I loved the idea of the parade in Italy; a procession, a strange carnival, a crowd of people from anywhere and everywhere and yet somehow, they all fit and go in the same direction,” Blazy stated in the show notes. “I wanted to look at what makes people gather together in a place without hierarchy, where everyone is invited.”
Not only is the result one of Blazy’s most lush offerings for the brand to date, it’s also one of the most innovative collections to come out of Milan this season—and considering how stellar the work has been this week, that’s no small bar to clear. Bottega Veneta continues to focus on what it can do with its leather, embossing it with croc or ostrich patterns and using it everywhere from trenchcoats to dresses. Blazy created something of a phenomenon with his trompe-l’oeil “denim” leather pants for spring, and that spirit of experimentation continues in his latest outing. See: Pinstriped nightshirts, the smattering of feathers at a bust, flannel pajamas, even what appear to be knitted socks—it’s all leather.
Don’t let the illusion distract you from the knits, which were offered in chunky sweaters and ribbed polo dresses, or from Blazy’s twist on menswear for women: perfectly oversized suiting in some places, razor-sharp tailored dresses in others, all cut in traditional menswear fabrics.
Undoubtedly, the hit accessory here will be the thigh-high boots done in the brand’s signature Intrecciato weave in shades of oxblood and bone, but the Sardine bag also gets a covetable update with Murano glass handles.
Rather than closing with an embellished evening look or a statement-making coat, Blazy instead sent Liu Wen (who made her return to the runway at Prada earlier in the week) out in a simple white tank, a pair of jeans and a pink shirt tied at her waist. The message, it seems, is that chic can be found in the most basic of style gestures at Bottega Veneta.
