How Bottega Veneta hit refresh at Milan Fashion Week: new creative director Matthieu Blazy’s debut autumn/winter collection for the brand was full of bright colour and fun texture

Mar 3, 2022

A model presents a creation during the Bottega Veneta women’s catwalk show for the autumn/winter 2022-2023 on the fifth day of the Milan Fashion Week in Milan, on February 26. Photo: AFP

For his first show with the fashion house after the departure of Daniel Lee, French designer Blazy trotted out fresh new looks abundant with sequins and fluffy textures

Julianne Moore and Prada designer Raf Simons had front row seats at the Veneto-born brand’s new headquarters behind Milan’s City Hall

Milan Fashion Week closed five off-kilter days of runway shows for next season, marked both by a sense of relief that strict pandemic rules were easing but with growing distress over the war in Ukraine.

While Armani had a silent show to pay respects, a lone protester stood poignantly outside shows on Sunday, February 27, vying for attention, with a sign reading “Putin, stop bombing Ukraine,” and balloons in yellow and blue for the embattled country’s flag.

Under the new creative direction of Matthieu Blazy, the Bottega Veneta women’s catwalk show showcased new designs for the autumn/winter 2022-2023 on the fifth day of the Milan Fashion Week in Milan, on February 26. Photo: AFP

Meanwhile, Bottega Veneta has hit refresh with the creative direction of Matthieu Blazy, following the departure of Daniel Lee in 2021.

The new creative director sent a clear message of renewal with the first look in his debut collection on Saturday night, February 26: a white tank and what appeared to be jeans, but which were deceptively made out of soft nubuck. Call it a palate cleanser.

A model wears green in a furry coat and suit ensemble at the Bottega Veneta women’s catwalk show autumn/winter 2022-2023 on the fifth day of the Milan Fashion Week in Milan on February 26. Photo: AFP

And with that simple gesture, Blazy drew a straight line to the roots of the Veneto-born brand as a leather goods company, and its understated sophistication that was sometimes eclipsed by his predecessor’s eye-catching padded “intrecciato” (woven) leather mules and bags.

The debut of French designer Matthieu Blazy’s collection at Bottega Veneta included bold and creative twists at the Bottega Veneta Women catwalk show autumn/winter 2022-2023 on the fifth day of the Milan Fashion Week in Milan, on February 26. Photo: AFP

The French designer brought creative new twists to the label: the bag of the season is the brand’s classic woven intreccio slung over the shoulder, not worn but gripped by a long strap without the conventional loop.

A model wears bold yellow with a patterned skirt at the Bottega Veneta women’s catwalk show autumn/winter 2022-2023 on the fifth day of the Milan Fashion Week in Milan, on February 26. Photo: EPA-EFE