Hutton walks for Bottega
Actress and model walks along Gigi Hadid to celebrate the brand’s 50th anniversary
Wearing a big smile and carrying the actual woven red clutch she used in American Gigolo, Lauren Hutton surprised the fashion crowd when she joined models in the runway show marking Bottega Veneto’s 50th anniversary.
The crowd burst into applause as the actress worked her way down the vaulted corridor of the Accademia di Brera dressed in a classic silk Bottega Veneto trench coat. Creative director Tomas Maier said the brand has been working through its archives during the 15 years he has been at Bottega Veneta and found Hutton’s bag from the 1980 film among the treasures. “I thought it would be nice for her to carry the bag from the film one more time,” Maier said after the show.
Eva Herzigova and Gigi Hadid also walked in the show. Guests in attendance included Andie MacDowell, Marisa Tomei and Liz Goldwyn. With so many brands changing creative directors recently, Maier said his relative longevity was a mutual choice.
PRIVATE LUXURY
The Bottega Veneta brand avoids flash, and its appeal is in details that are most apparent to the individual wearing a garment. Maier says that is by design.
“It’s a personal experience. When you wear a coat, you discover how light it is. When you wear a sweater, you discover it has no seams,” Maier said. “It has always been about the experience. Feeling the materials, getting the sensibility.”
To mark the brand’s 50th anniversary, Maier showed the men’s and women’s collections together — with the “more sturdy” menswear and “more colourful” womenswear each playing off each other. The looks were clean-cut, projecting timeless wholesomeness.
The soft female silhouette emphasised curves, with belted waistlines and low-cut V-necks, and the models themselves were more voluptuous than on many runways. Sheer knitwear added to the sex appeal.
The men’s looks were loose and boxy, with high-waist trousers that gather generously above the belt paired with simple polo shirts.
Bright yellow, pink and copper nappa leather coats had a sheen that appeared nearly plastic. Evening dresses wrapped and plunged along the figure, trailing magnificently along the stone corridors.
The garments, which emphasise the brand’s artisanal heritage, are made to last, Maier said. “When you spend a lot of money, that shouldn’t be disposable. It can be passed on,” he said.