Bottega Veneta onthult ‘zachte functionaliteit’ in Milaan

MILAN – The British Louise Trotter makes his debut for Bottega Veneta on Saturday in Milan with a collection aimed at ‘soft functionality’. The collection contains structured garments in flexible, draped fabrics.

There are leather jackets and suits with wide shoulders, as well as voluminous tops with a fur effect, one of which is in glittering gold, combined with close-fitting skirts.

Other dresses are more tailored, enveloped and lined with cotton for a smooth feeling on the skin. The collection focuses on customization and the softest types of leather, as well as satin and wool.

Large bags in different colors of the iconic ‘Intrecciato’ braided leather are worn under the arm. Trotter, appointed in December last year, explains that her inspiration for this first collection comes from the years after the founding of the company in Vicenza in 1966 and the expansion to the United States.

Hence her decision not to place a logo on the bags, but to let the craftsmanship speak for itself. “I think the initial period between 1966 and 1977 is a good starting point for me. I discovered a kind of soft functionality in the bags, a liberation for women at the time,” said British artistic director.

“And I also believe that I have discovered that daring confidence. To wear a bag without a logo, you must have confidence.” She remembers Laura Braggion, the first female artistic director of Bottega Veneta, who was part of the Andy Warhol team in New York.

“I introduced her journey, her freedom as an archetypal Italian woman who settled in New York. That experience was a liberation for her,” she says. After her time at the French fashion houses Carven, Lacoste and Joseph, Louise Trotter follows the French-Belgian Matthieu Blazy at Bottega Veneta, who left for Chanel.

She explains that working with the resources of the Italian company, which is owned by the French luxury giant barrier, is ‘opening a candy box’.

All luxury brands have been delayed in the delay in Chinese consumers in recent years. However, Bottega Veneta is more resilient than the other brands of the Kering group, in particular Gucci. Turnover increased by one percent in the first half of 2025.