MANIFESTO

#63

CHANGE OF SPACE

RESILIENCE

2024.02.25

Text by Chiara Belardi

Like the scorched landscape that offers its harsh yet fertile land, Bottega Veneta’s FW collection invites reflection and hope. It is a testament to the inner strength that emerges from the trial by fire, conveying a message of resilience and rebirth as life’s challenges are faced.

In the desolate landscape of a scorched earth, a new era rises for Bottega Veneta, led by creative director Matthieu Blazy. This is not merely a new journey, but rather a path of regeneration and rebirth, an epic celebrating the very essence of fashion and creation. This season, Bottega Veneta fervently embraces negative space, where ornamentation yields to essential and intentional simplicity. Inspired by the brand’s pre-Intrecciato roots, the collection reflects a profound rebirth, characterized by luxurious and tactile fabrics exuding a timeless sense of essentialism. The extraordinary attention to detail seamlessly integrates ornaments into the fabrics, narrating the story of layers of time and personal experiences we carry with us. The materials, crafted masterfully from bouclé wool to cashmere, are transformed into something new: practical, resilient yet still infused with luxurious elegance.

“Monumentalism of the everyday: a sense of attractiveness and confidence in what is practical, utilitarian and substantial. How daywear is perceived in this nocturnal world; silhouettes are simplified and recognized as monoliths in the darkness. In a world on fire, there is something deeply human about the simple act of dressing.”

– Matthieu Blazy

This sincerity in materials is also reflected in accessories, evoking a sense of heritage and essentialism. Bags like the Liberta and Andiamo, Hop, and Cabat, despite their simplicity, embody a continuity and significance that seamlessly integrate into everyday life. The color palette, dominated by tones of night and fire, evokes an atmosphere of depth and hope. Charcoal black, burnt orange, and burgundy merge with earthy tones and accents of light, symbolizing resilience and rebirth. Recurring motifs like the serpent, flame, and flower permeate the collection, representing resilience and transformation. Abstract floral prints and painted flame motifs intertwine with sinuous silhouettes, creating an atmosphere of renewal and vitality. Even in jewelry, the archaeology of the future merges with ancient materials like ceramics, glass, and stone, symbolizing eternal return and continuity amidst change.

“We all watch the same news. It is difficult to be optimistic at this point. However, the idea of rebirth is also beautiful. These are the flowers that bloom after the earth has burned – they give a sense of hope. They come back stronger than ever. Here, elegance is resilience.”

– Matthieu Blazy

The runway show for the Bottega Veneta collection takes place in a space designed by creative director Matthieu Blazy, characterized by Murano glass blooming cacti, symbols of strength and resilience. These elements express the hope and resistance of the maison in an ever-evolving world. Additionally, Bottega Veneta collaborates once again with Cassina for the show’s seating, presenting a special LC14 Cabanon stool by Le Corbusier, finished with a traditional Japanese technique that imparts natural protection to wood, symbolizing continuity and adaptability in change. Following the runway show, a selection of these stools will be showcased in a special installation for Milan Design Week, alongside a new tribute to Le Corbusier’s classic design. In conclusion, the Bottega Veneta Autumn-Winter 2024 collection represents a true renaissance for the brand, with a stylistic exploration celebrating essentialism, continuity, and rebirth. An ode to timeless beauty and the strength of human resilience.

FW24

Creative freedom

2024.02.28

A collection that rethinks the concept of fashion as a manifestation of power and full representation of creativity, investigating the historical legacy and future of femininity. The looks in Dior’s FW24 collection convey the radiant power of a pluralistic, autonomous and versatile femininity, reactivating that key moment of creative freedom of which Miss Dior is the emblem.

COLLECTION

SPIRIT

2024.02.25

The Fall Winter 2024 collection by Maximilian Davis is an interpretation of the 1920s through a modern lens, particularly inspiring as it offers a new perspective on the elegance and rebellion of that era.

MILAN

Elegance and Tradition

2024.02.24

To celebrate and renew the invitation to an open dialogue with the city of Milan, Loro Piana FW24 reiterates its delicate and calm language of making fashion, a Loro Piana method, that is, the absolute search toward the consistency of product history and above all a sustainable and reliable fashion idea.

FW24

Nightly Tribute

2024.02.23

Emporio Armani pays homage to a luminous night sky, quilted with stars and ruled by a shining moon. The FW 24 collection captures a chromatic sensation and translates it into wearable forms.