It's All In the Details for Bottega Veneta Pre-Spring 2023
Matthieu Blazy proves nothing is as simple as it seems.
Nothing is as simple as it seems for Matthieu Blazy‘s Bottega Veneta. It’s a thought process, an ethos that drives the luxury label’s success; clothes are more than just garments you hang from your body, but statements of simplicity explored under a deceptive lens, items that are crafted rather than merely designed. This couldn’t ring truer for the house’s Pre-Spring 2023 collection, a 65-look selection of ready-to-wear that blends Bottega Veneta’s expected cues with Blazy’s nuanced understanding of relaxed, understated, quiet masterpieces.
Model Emma Balfour opens Pre-Spring 2023 with perhaps the most humble look in the entire collection — a pair of jeans and a white tank top. Only, as we’ve come to expect from Bottega Veneta, this isn’t quite the case. Here, the house’s signature Intreccio weave threads deep blue leather together to create jeans of new heights, while the tank top explores a luxurious realm (as many other esteemed houses have in recent seasons).
But as the lookbook unfolds, so do Blazy’s references for the finer details. A leather double-breasted blazer in cognac brown is layered atop another finely woven DB number, while a sense of uniform comes in with the wool flannel two-piece, tinted in an almost-military shade of washed khaki. Sweaters are free of distractions, cut and finished with a seamless approach, while leather pants in black are shiny but mattified for a formal touch.
Curves are added into trousers and jeans (here made from denim) to create a sense of movement in otherwise structured and rigid clothes; this plays into Blazy’s wanting to create clothing that’s easy and he himself would wear. But it’s not all soft and unobstructed — brushed mohair sweaters play with chevrons for something timelessly fun, cyan blue lamb leather coated in latex creates a final boss jacket-pencil skirt ensemble, and boucle knit wool adds TV static themes to some of the house’s most tantalizing car coats.
The joy continues as slip dresses decked in sequins proffer movement — a slinky fit, accentuated by a low-scooped neckline that turns into thick straps on the shoulders bringing dimension to something otherwise quite average. Zips and ribs on leather add a biker design to pants, while FW22’s Kalimero bag makes a frequent appearance and adds a charming, whimsical touch to outfits that are heavier on the eye.
Combined, Pre-Spring 2023 is an offering fit for all occasions to be worn by all people (who can afford the house’s astronomical price point). Take a look at the collection above, and expect it to filter into boutiques worldwide and online imminently.
In other news, Balenciaga has unveiled its adidas collaboration campaign.
