Movement and emotions. Bottega Veneta free look in Milan

How will Matthew Blaze trick our senses? The question now comes back as a bit of a game. Given the unanimous approval of a simple shirt and jeans at his first show for Bottega Veneta, the 39-year-old French designer’s gift for turning wardrobe basics into chic pieces was evident. It was so beautiful, so well made, everything fell perfectly, that within seconds the congregation was thinking of passing in admiration, therefore, in front of a simple cotton shirt and jeans. The main collection that Kate Moss wore that day was actually made of leather. Since then, his impeccable mastery of the material is evident in all his collections. The designer even likes to give a nod to this popular tank top and jeans ensemble. Last time it was a denim effect silk flannel.

Appearance game

The uniform was there in Milan on Saturday night. It was worn by American actress Julianne Moore, who was present in the front row alongside Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault, as well as on the podium where this wealth of ideas and textile innovation was once again generously offered. Matthew Blazey questioned touch and sight, disrupting our instinctive perceptions of leather. Movement is key here. She celebrates it with cut-out details, dresses that test the structure of the corset without being too tight, and other dresses that strive for a draped effect. Clothing is not what you think you see, like this women’s shirt worn as a dress, which has all the delicacy of a piece of silk. It’s actually leather.

Here’s how, with the vision of Matthieu Blasi, the look takes on another dimension. The Bottega Veneta trench is not ordinary, it is flexible, with a confident fall, full of volume, with a masterful cloak effect. Knitted dresses and sweaters are also part of this concept of work, which Blasi wanted to honor soon after taking over in 2021, making the most of the know-how of the brand founded in 1966. Here we note: the precision of the volumes, both on the clothes and the bags, which have achieved proportion, and the edge work, which is returned as a signature on the silhouettes. So many techniques, and they hit the nail on the head, with a sublime expression of abstract and sculptural lines that remind us that the designer once contributed to Céline’s success during the Phoebe Philo era, after being behind Margiela’s renaissance a few years after the founding creator left. There is no doubt that he is now translating Bottega Veneta’s look, which continues to cause a sensation.