Matthieu Blazy’s second collection for Bottega Veneta seamlessly dissolves contradictions — the past and the present; the real and the fake — which is captured in the monumental introduction of the Bottega Veneta Andiamo bag.
Nothing is linear in Matthieu Blazy’s subsequent collection for Bottega Veneta. Instead, the creative director indulges in the use of conflicts — what looks like a wool flannel shirt emerges as one made of soft leather calfskin, pieces of tailoring feature found their way onto little black dresses while vivid prints are sprawled on what should be effortless linen ensembles. Notwithstanding the collection, these description might sound like they came straight from the school of detached seduction — the kind used on collections that are intentionally visually displeasing or in other words are avant- garde in nature.
The Bottega Veneta Spring/Summer 2023 collection is no fashion dismay, as it appears rightfully flattering from start to finish. At a time when even the most modest brands are expected to present materials worthy of online sensation, the still-restrained Bottega Veneta continues to interlink both sophistication with ideation in a palatable way. Spring/Summer 2023 sees an assembly of deconstructed fashion drawn from reinventing the archives, where the creative director entirely immersed himself with prompts of curiosity. It also offered differing variables on what it means to push the limit, ensuring a sense of effortlessness remained its key focus. The collection transpires as an ambient mix of effortless juxtapositions; where the past and the present, the real and the fake dissolve together.
These creative possibilities then trickle down to the bags, which include a new addition by Blazy for the Italian luxury House — the Andiamo. The bag — which appeared on the runway on its opening look — sees a long line of the same beautiful contradictions explored throughout the collection. Drawing on a love of the minimal, the Andiamo is made of soft paper calf leather — with its reinforcement by the Intrecciato weave technique — yet forms a boxy, briefcase-like shape.
A metal knot fastens its sliding braided straps and keeps the sculptural effect, but allows for adjustments to stretch out the ways one could carry it. Even the bag’s name — the Italian expression for “let’s go” — is an ode to the duality of fashion. There will be no lingering discrepancy between material quality and monetary value, considering such exceptional techniques
Once you’re done with this story on the Bottega Veneta Andiamo bag, click here to catch up with our March 2023 issue.
