September 22, 2012: For Spring 2013, Bottega Veneta fashions clothes which can be considered tough-minded and sweet-natured at the same glance. The 2013 spring collection ranges from angular, precisely tailored looks to soft, fluid pieces, all sharing a distinctive silhouette and a polished air, sometimes quite vintage as well.
The starting point is a strong, padded shoulder and short sleeve. The rest of the silhouette is slim, with a narrow waist and long hem. Skirts and dresses end mid-calf, some rigid and architectural in construction, with a slit or pleat for movement, others sinuous and draped. Pants are high-waisted and lanky, worn with tunics, shirts, or wind breakers that extend the long line. One of our particular favourites is a collared, off-white blouse with feminine details, paired with a high-waist, straight white skirt. Bottega Veneta earns full marks for presenting this risky attire.
The palette consists of dusty shades of peach, yellow, blue, red, plaster, and antique white, all anchored in black, which is used variously as a frame, an accent, or a counterpoint. The dress (shown here) aptly defines this. Even though bathed in bright hues, a hidden background of black gives it stability.
Luxe materials used include a stiffer hand-double-faced wool, double-faced cashmere, double-faced cotton, cotton-and-linen canvas, paper calf, and nylon backed with cotton poplin. Fluid silks – silk jersey, silk crêpe, silk chiffon, crêpe de chine and silk georgette – fall closer to the body, with volume revealed only in motion. There is subtle use of surface embellishments like lace, sequins, macramé, beading, and embroidery developed in collaboration with French, Swiss, and Italian ateliers. This profusion of prints, materials, and handcrafted textures lends each piece a richness and complexity.
Spring shoes are high and substantial, with a cutaway platform, squared toe and hefty heel. Jewellry showcased is made of sterling silver and enamel. Hand-woven nappa handbags, by contrast, look seemingly unfinished, with a rough-hewn sensibility that belies the workmanship involved in their making. Of special note this season is the Studio bag, a reinterpretation of the classic briefcase. With a top handle and shoulder strap, it is an eccentric combination of competence and chic.
Creative Director Tomas Maier says, “For spring, we wanted to make clothes that blur lines, that offer a more complex idea. These are clothes for women who’d rather not be summed up in a word or two.”
