Last night Detroit became the center of attention of the fashion world. At the Michigan Theater in Motor City, Bottega Veneta delighted us by presenting Salon 03.
Bottega Veneta has always been an elegant, classy, and understated luxury brand, but since Daniel Lee came on the scene, this Italian brand has become the epitome of cool. His pouch bag is everyone’s favorite and his clothes and shoes are some of the most photographed street style pieces around. Undoubtedly, this creative director has revolutionized Bottega Veneta, turning this Italian fashion house into a favorite for new generations.
But, the transformation of Bottega Veneta goes beyond the design of its garments and accessories. We have also noticed a change in the way the brand presents information. A clear example is when on January 2 of last year, the brand deleted all its social media accounts only to return to cyberspace a few months later with a digital fanzine entitled Journal featuring collabs from different celebrities, style icons, and artists like Mariacarla Boscono, Tyler Mitchell, Missy Elliot, David LaChapelle, and Naomi Campbell, and others.
Another of the big changes at the brand thanks to Lee’s direction is in how it presents its collections. Starting with the Spring 21 season, Bottega Veneta has decided to diverge from established calendar and present its collections at what they call “salons” in different cities and venues. The first was at Sadler’s Wells Theater in London, and “Salon 02” was presented at the Berghain nightclub in Berlin. The latest collection was unveiled in Detroit. These may seem like random choices, but on a closer look they represent Lee’s aesthetics, vision, and way of designing.
Editors, celebrities, and fashionistas flew to Motor City last night to see the brand’s Spring 22 collection. “Salon 03” was held at the Michigan Theater in Downtown Detroit, a building designed in 1926 that mixes French Renaissance style with an industrial vibe. To a techno soundtrack created by Moodymann and Carl Craig, models walked wearing clothing influenced by sportswear. The collection was a reinterpretation of classic American style. We saw garments like anoraks, parachute jackets, and in general, a very sporty aesthetic elevated by the brand’s elegance and expertise. Knitted dresses, sequins, and pleated skirts continued to be part of this collection, but this time Daniel Lee combined them with sporty shoes for a more casual vibe. We saw dresses in purple sequins, maxi coats in white faux fur, blouses with green sequins, neon orange bags, and white halter dresses with black accents. It was a collection that represents new luxury, in which elegance and comfort intertwine. Gone are the days when fashion can’t be comfortable…well, at least in the world of Bottega Veneta.
The color palette for this collection was full of snowy tones (on mini dresses and oversized trench coats with cropped sleeves) that gave way to a citrusy explosion of yellow, orange and the now iconic pear green of Bottega Veneta. We also saw darker tones such as navy blue, eggplant, silver, and black–a color palette that reminded me of images of the earth from space, in which the vast and dark universe intermingles with the green, white, and blue tones of the Earth.
Among my favorite looks was an oversized navy-blue anorak inspired by sportswear combined with black mules; it was the perfect balance between streetwear and high-fashion. Another outfit that got my attention was the pale-yellow sequined dress paired with canary yellow rain boots and a parakeet green bag. I also loved the knitwear pieces, such as the yellow knee-length dress with orange accents and accessories to match and a total white look with a pleated dress with a fringe hem paired with sneakers and a shoulder bag with green details. The latter reminded me of tennis players at Wimbledon.
Yesterday, Bottega Veneta made it clear that the brand’s established aesthetic is being translated into a more modern one. This new collection showed us that under the vision of Daniel Lee, the brand understands today’s woman and the universality of fashion, in which local and global influences inspire one another.
XO
Sira
