FROM NEW YORK TO SHANGHAI

A study in stealth wealth by the very icon of the movement, Tomas Maier

WHEN TOMAS MAIER took over the creative reins at Bottega Veneta in 2001, the brand was on the brink of bankruptcy. A decade later, in 2012, the brand’s sales surpassed $1 billion. It was a testament to Maier’s belief that time-honoured craftsmanship applied to luxurious materials was all that was needed to draw in the crowd. You didn’t need loud logos nor a celebrity crew to wear your clothes.

Empire State of Mind

For his AW18 show, Maier opted to stage it in New York instead of Milan to mark the opening of the brand’s biggest maison at the corner of 64th Street and Madison Avenue. That location is especially significant for Bottega Veneta. The first-ever store that it opened outside of Italy was also in New York back in 1972, directly across the street from the new boutique.

It was only natural then that Maier took inspiration from the Big Apple for the collection. Just like its residents, the men’s clothes were loud, colourful and elaborate. Multiple animal markings made their, well, mark, in a reference to the urban jungle of the city. Tiger stripes clawed their way on multiple shirts and outerwear, and a zebra left its imprints on a beautiful leather vest that would look out of place anywhere else but New York.

The colourful patchwork detail (pictured, above right) also found its way onto coats, blazers and trousers. Maier clearly intended for them to be statement pieces, paired with mono-coloured austere clothes.

As always, Maier’s iconic intrecciato weave showed up in Bottega Veneta’s accessories. This time though, he decided to monogram the bags with the initials of the models carrying them. It’s a demonstration of the brand’s timeless slogan: when your own initials are enough.

Unfortunately, it seems that for the public, one’s own initials aren’t enough. Maier took his leave from the company in June 2017 and is replaced by Daniel

Lee, formerly from Céline. While Lee will undoubtedly invigorate the brand, Maier’s AW18 collection was a breath of fresh air in a fashion world that’s far too preoccupied with trying to catch the next big wave instead of just focusing on the most important aspect ‒ timeless style. AM

“JUST LIKE THE RESIDENTS OF NEW YORK, BOTTEGA VENETA’S MENSWEAR WAS LOUD, COLOURFUL AND ELABORATE”