Bottega Veneta S/S 2023 Milan

[GivenchyAddict]

I think his BV is weak in terms of POV.. I feel like it is all over the place, some looks are very ugly and pretentious, some others just felt dated and few are indeed luxurious and beautiful.

The styling is just terrible. McKimm only knows to do something good when he has black clothes in his hands.

Kate was just a non event, she did not make any impact.

The menswear is straight from his time at Calvin Klein.

The accessories and shoe departments, just no comment…

I understand now why all together Raf, Matthieu and Pieter at CK was that huge disaster.

 

[THD96]

I don't know, more than 2000 € for a man's wool overshirt seems fairly overpriced to me... I am all for paying the right amount for craftsmanship and impeccable fabrics, but it still feels that they are artificially inflating the price for the sake of the brand's exclusivity.

I feel like the company secretly raised the prices of their RTW during Daniel's era so they can make some quick cash with his hype. Because I remembered during Tomas's era, their RTW is still somewhat preachable, it all went crazy with Daniel.

I mean 2000€ something for a wool overshirt is still expensive but understandable with this current era when every house wants to label themselves as a "luxury house" instead of a "fashion house".
After THAT Chanel t-shirt and with Dior out here asking you 1000€ for a "Lucky" t-shirt. I find BV to be somewhat reasonable.

I hope with Matthew, they will adjust back to their old price strategy. They should follow the footstep of Hermes, except for their exotic skin pieces, their RTW is reasonable for a house of that caliber.

 

[Lola701]

I don't know, more than 2000 € for a man's wool overshirt seems fairly overpriced to me... I am all for paying the right amount for craftsmanship and impeccable fabrics, but it still feels that they are artificially inflating the price for the sake of the brand's exclusivity.

I mean I’m used to more outrageous prices in womenswear tbh… But I get it when it comes to menswear.
It’s a growing market still and so brands are raising their prices like crazy. But I really think that they needs to raise the cachet of their menswear to justify those prices because I think the potential menswear customer of BV will buy as long as the brand remains at the top.

We saw despite the great reviews Tomas Maier had, BV RTW didn’t even represent 5% of their sales.

BV does sales anyway…

 

[susseinmcswanny]

I loved this, most of all because it feels like FASHION.

 

[Mathewthew]

I love the collection, I love the proportion and the clothes looking good on the body.
There are nice details and have a nice balance of catergories for everyone.
I know it's gonna be expensive and I'm not sure about the accessoires.....nothing really major and I see they are still focus on Lee's period bags in the store..

 

[liberty33r1b]

boring, with nothing that really stands out

 

[Overindulgence]

There are some very nice looks and desirable pieces but nothing wow'ed me. He just fused his debut collection with Lee's BV S/S 2020.

Frankly, it just looks like a standard MFW collection from 2012-14 (specifically with the set design and colors of the collection, I felt like I was watching a Marni show circa '14).

 

[reesewu]

I gotta say, despite the "it's not denim, it's leather" craftsmanship, design-wise, those first few grungier--or Suburban Mom-esque--looks put "lazy" in "Blazy" to me.

The rest, however, shows promise. Those finale, fringed dresses are desirable (I'd expect them to be ubiquitous on covers and magazine editorials for the next season) as are the coats, suiting, and draped dresses. The styling for those looks have this right balance between nonchalant and glamorous. I still miss Tomas Maier's work but amid mediocre talents that failed to inspire you in terms of day-wear or separates, Blazy's voice on the runway is the least out-of-tune.

 

[GivenchyHomme]

It's a decent offering of shelf ready clothes, but I expected more. The collection from last season was far more focused and ambitious. He claims to spend 12 hours a day in the office, and I would like to know what he does in that timeframe. It certainly looks like it wasn't spent on this collection. I'm extremely bothered and offended by the hillbilly look on Kate. It's the worst look I've seen this season. All she's missing is a cow hide bag and she's ready to be queen of rodeo. He seems to be comfortable riding the wave of success set by his predecessor. He's adding tweaks here and there, but he isn't adding anything new to the equation. He really needs to start taking this more seriously. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the products offered by Daniel Lee were far more chic and desirable. The marketing team is talented, but they can only do so much. Sooner or later the products are going to have to speak for themselves.

 

[style_expert]

I think he would greatly benefit from hiring another stylist. Those first looks and especially the one on Kate are quite unforgiveable. I think Kate Moss walking in her own clothing would be a better look. The boring menswear is a distraction from the otherwise potentially interesting womenswear. I don't think showing them together is doing any favors.
The bags are great but given their size will probably be extravagantly priced again. I wonder how those impractical Kalimero bags from last season will do at retail...
The last few dresses are editorial gold of course.

 

[gallianostan]

this is so pedestrian. i was bored to tears. wholeheartedly agree with criticisms of this collection seeming a bit chaotic and unfocused. there is a handful (and i use that term generously) of fairly chic (i guess...?) looks but otherwise, this is nothing to write home about. it's quite dull and there's really no unique design vision. those bags are horrendous too.

 

[rip_ian curtis]

I find that Gaetano Pesce-designed set very confusing. To me it's more JC de Castelbajac type of world, and not much on the runway let alone the general brand of Bottega Veneta speaks the same language. I would really like to know why he was chosen as the collaborator here over every other great designer/architect they could collaborate with. Blazy should understand that not everything you personally like is necessarily right for the brand you are working for. It already gives me a feeling that Bottega is headed to the same colourful mess as what CK became when he was there.

 

[Cocteau Stone]

It already gives me a feeling that Bottega is headed to the same colourful mess as what CK became when he was there.

This is something that I have noticed among the trio's current placements (Alaia is... whatever that is lets say that). As much as I enjoyed the feeling of this collection and many of its looks, there is something similar to the trio's time at Calvin Klein afoot here. It hurts seeing how good we had it with Costa and then they came along and upended it into the state it is now, despite making some gorgeous looks that stood out amongst what can be considered an absolute dumpster fire for the most part.

 

[Nomar]

Absolutely divine collection. I would wear every men's piece in a heartbeat! It honestly takes talent to make those normcore looks at the begining look so luxe.

 

[Lola701]

This is something that I have noticed among the trio's current placements (Alaia is... whatever that is lets say that). As much as I enjoyed the feeling of this collection and many of its looks, there is something similar to the trio's time at Calvin Klein afoot here. It hurts seeing how good we had it with Costa and then they came along and upended it into the state it is now, despite making some gorgeous looks that stood out amongst what can be considered an absolute dumpster fire for the most part.

To be fair, Costa despite his talent, was just making clothes under the advertising budget as they were almost never produced.
The challenge was too big for Raf who was more interested in fulfilling his Helmut Lang obsessions than caring about CK.

But Blazy, unlike the two others seems to be respectful of a general image of a brand like BV. The bags are rather classic and the shoes still has that bourgeois flair, which is totally different from the mess Lee did in terms of accessories.

However, the same cannot be said about Raf at Prada or Pieter at Alaia. He has made Alaia trashy, which is weird knowing his sensibility:

 

[Frederic01]

HARPERS BAZAAR TW

 

[tricotineacetat]

Okay, I give up - Leather printed with the close up of knitwear or tweed to create a trompe l'oiel effect. Wow. That's next level stupid. What's the point of negating the inherent beauty of leather (which is the aging process and lively texture) and turning it into a canvas that's unfit for such an effect in the first place? I'm highly doubting plongé leather provides a stable surface for digital printing...

 

[Cocteau Stone]

To be fair, Costa despite his talent, was just making clothes under the advertising budget as they were almost never produced.
The challenge was too big for Raf who was more interested in fulfilling his Helmut Lang obsessions than caring about CK.

But Blazy, unlike the two others seems to be respectful of a general image of a brand like BV. The bags are rather classic and the shoes still has that bourgeois flair, which is totally different from the mess Lee did in terms of accessories.

However, the same cannot be said about Raf at Prada or Pieter at Alaia. He has made Alaia trashy, which is weird knowing his sensibility:

That is true. What did make it to production was very limited and usually the simplest of the simplest runway pieces.

Blazy needs to lose a bit of that ego and relax a bit so collections can exist on a slightly realer plane, one that isn't too stressed and overwrought. It's like he's is overthinking the idea of Bottega's sense of luxury. Brings to mind a comment someone made about Raf taking too long to place buttons on a garment because he overthought the placement of them too much.

Alaia is just... nonsensical at the moment. But maybe Pieter is going through an intellectual hoe phase.

 

[susseinmcswanny]

Okay, I give up - Leather printed with the close up of knitwear or tweed to create a trompe l'oiel effect. Wow. That's next level stupid. What's the point of negating the inherent beauty of leather (which is the aging process and lively texture) and turning it into a canvas that's unfit for such an effect in the first place? I'm highly doubting plongé leather provides a stable surface for digital printing...

I moderately feel what you're saying. During Daniel Lee time, he made a bunch of waterproof parkas/ponchos out of leather and all I could think of is like... why? Despite trying to be innovative with fabric manipulation etc, it comes off as redundant and impractical. Because what the f is the point of a big heavy treated leather raincoat that looks like vulcanized cotton when there are fabrics with more novel technologies and functionalities for such an outerwear garment that give you the same visual result... Unless you just enjoy the look of being on your way to the boat for Niagara Falls. It's just excess for the sake of excess. But... that is sort of the point lol. It's "luxury". I kind of like the leather flannels and jeans because they are just fun lol. I like wearing leather jackets, so why not something unusual and technically innovative that could give me a new look? I'm sure there was a ton of R&D that went into them to perfect the results.

 

[Frederic01]

Cathy Horyn's Review:

Blazy’s shows are arresting. He puts everything out there. On Saturday night, on a runway vibrating with color — thanks to 400 uniquely tinted chairs and a resin floor swirled with the same hues, by the architect and designer Gaetano Pesce — Blazy presented a storm of individual styles, each grabbing your attention in some fresh respect. There were the first six outfits — jeans and khakis, a polo shirt, your basic grunge plaid shirts (one on Kate Moss), and a pleasantly scruffy fake fox-fur coat (which was actually goat hair). All but that coat and white undershirts were leather, dyed to resemble the most common of fabrics. It’s an extravagant gesture, indeed the kind that fashion has long made with everyday or eccentric materials (I think of Martin Margiela’s famous jacket based on the form and canvas of a dressmaker’s dummy). Just as important, the pieces are an extension of the craft tradition, using 21st-century methods. They’re also perfect for obsessives.

Many of Blazy’s designs target that audience. The sleeves and trouser legs of otherwise elegant wool suits sprouted little finlike shapes of the same fabric, as if to suggest perpetual motion. There was a series of dresses and suits in complex, multihued patterns, with sections that turned into dense fringe, and, also, sheer white embroidered shifts with matching mesh boots. Among the simplest looks was a white cotton henley shirt and skirt (or possibly it was a dress) with a flounced, lingerie-style hem; it reminded me of a 19th-century frontier woman in her skivvies. It was wonderful. That was one of the few items in the collection that didn’t look overworked, that retained a sense of proportion with reality, and so felt all the more human. It’s admirable to want to design for individuals, as Blazy claimed in his show notes, but Bottega Veneta isn’t a department store. If he depended less on elaborate techniques and embellishment, he would find out what he can do as a designer.

THE CUT