Six decades of history make the introduction of a new creative director in a moment that carries weight. For Bottega Veneta, Summer 2026 signals both a milestone and a new beginning, as Louise Trotter presents her first collection for the brand while reflecting on its roots.
“I like that the ‘Bottega’ is a workshop, one with a long and multifaceted history in Italy. It involves the collective effort of craft; with craftsmanship, the people who make it, and the people who wear it matter. It’s where the hand and the heart become one,” Ms. Trotter said.
Her debut collection traces Bottega Veneta’s journey back to its origins to understand the present. Venice’s extravagance, New York’s energy, and Milan’s essentialism provide the collection’s starting points. These references also recall the leadership of Laura Braggion, the house’s first female creative lead, who shaped its identity from the 1980s into the early 2000s.
The principle of “soft functionality” first introduced by cofounder Renzo Zengiaro with the Intrecciato weave defines this season. The classic 9mm/12mm scale reappears across bags and accessories, adjusted for today while preserving their adaptability. This idea links the collection across categories, balancing clothing made for everyday wear with pieces designed for impact.
Garments reflect a romance with process, where attention to detail matters as much as dismantling classicism. Summer-weight tailoring fabrics lead the way, while nappa leather trench coats and cotton-lined evening gowns highlight structural precision. Feathers make up bold jackets, leather is pinched and manipulated into a structural yet soft dress, trench coats have innovative dual style collars.
Both women’s and men’s clothing are produced in workshops traditionally devoted to Italian men’s tailoring, bringing rigor, functionality, and fine detailing into every piece regardless of gender. The clothes flow with ease and grace.
Accessories expand the conversation further. Established styles are reintroduced with new intent: the Lauren appears in revised proportions, the Knot adopts a softer frame, and the Cabat is cut down into a clutch. Its triangular base also informs shoulder structures in the clothing. Alongside these, new designs emerge, the Squash, the elongated Framed Tote, and the Crafty Basket, each showing the house’s depth of artisanal skill.
Marking Bottega Veneta’s 60th anniversary, Ms. Trotter collaborated with British artist and Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen on the soundtrack for the show. The work, titled ’66 – ’76, weaves together Nina Simone and David Bowie’s recordings of Wild Is the Wind. Mr. McQueen describes it as an “aural Intrecciato”: “You hear those beautiful voices interlocking, it’s putting things which are complementary but different together to make something brand new.”
Ms. Trotter frames this as the essence of the house. “The language of Bottega Veneta is Intrecciato. And it is a metaphor. It is two different strips woven together that become stronger – the two things make a stronger whole. Collaboration and connectivity run throughout this house and its history, from its beginnings to what it is now. It’s about different places, different people, male and female – individual parts and stories intertwined to make a stronger whole.”
Bottega Veneta’s Summer 2026 collection is more than a debut. It reflects on six decades of design, recalls the voices who shaped the house, and connects them to a present that values both structure and softness. By reworking icons and introducing new forms, Ms. Trotter sets the tone for the house’s next chapter, one grounded in history but open to reinterpretation.
