DANCE ON Tomas Maier showed elegant daywear at Bottega Veneta, made for the body in movement. By Cai Mei Khoo.
Luxe activewear in the form of bodysuits and lush cardi- coats
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Dance was clearly a subject that has been on Tomas Maier’s mind. For the Bottega Veneta Men’s Spring/Summer ’ 15 show held last June, Maier showed a strong collection inspired by dancers, pieces that were about “movement and freedom”. Similarly, for the women’s show held later in September, Maier again went back to the idea of dance as his starting point, but this time of a dancer on her way to dance rehearsals as opposed to the performance aspect.
The show opened with Edie Campbell in a grey cotton yarn bodysuit worn with a chunky knit cardigan coat, setting the tone for the collection of luxe activewear that came soon after. There were double jersey sweatshirts, washed calf suede trenches, cropped wraparound cardigans in linen viscose yarn worn with high-waisted shorts, as well as yarn and linen trousers that were cut loose from the waist and tightened around the calves. A supremely tactile collection, the off-duty dancer looks were elevated with the use of luxurious materials that begged to be touched.
The colour palette consisted mostly of neutrals such as washed-out tones of sand, light grey, blush, and a soft A symphony of mesh and sequins yellow shade called banane that’s new at Bottega Veneta this season. A floor- length banane trench coat in bondedd cotton was made to feel like paper,, showing off the creativity and savoir- faire of the brand’s artisans. Then there e was the introduction of an unexpected d fabric – denim. A humble, everydayy material, denim at Bottega Veneta was done up in dark navy, pressed stiff and left with raw, unfinished edges. Skirts were cut at midi lengths, some with an asymmetrical hemline, with enough fabric to give the dresses a soft flare, reminiscent of a ’50s silhouette. Twotoned denim dresses were also delicately embellished with mesh and sequinned embroidery, which carried on to the evening looks.
Sequins took on a decidedly subtler look in the evening dresses. Here, Maier had sequins and caviar beads embellish a canvas dress and then layered a mesh-like fabric over it to create added dimension, lending that sense of quiet luxury that the brand is known for. Also, a mood of athleticism ran right through to the finale look, a floor-length T-shirt dress in fluid viscose jersey cut generously to evoke poetry in motion. “The woman who moves her arms gracefully and has a dancer’s walk – this is what I found inspiring,” says Maier. Trench coat of bonded cotton in banane’