Show Notes: Matthieu Blazy Makes A Splashy Debut At Bottega Veneta Fall/Winter '22
One of the fashion industry's best-kept secrets brings a new sensibility to the maison.
Belgian wunderkind Matthieu Blazy has finally showed his debut collection for Bottega Veneta after former creative director Daniel Lee unexpectedly left the top post last November despite his whirlwind transformation of the august maison.
For the uninitiated, Blazy has been viewed most favourably by the industry for a long time now – the 35-year-old's impressive creds include working with Raf Simons at the latter's namesake label, Celine (he was reportedly headhunted by Phoebe Philo), Maison Martin Margiela (he headed the couture line in the years after its famous founder departed in 2009) as well as joining Bottega Veneta itself as design director in 2020.
Bottega Veneta's new creative director, Mattieu Blazy
In an interview with industry publication Business of Fashion, Blazy stated that he was "extremely nervous" and clearly, he had to produce the collection in a very short span of time.
And despite the theatrics the fashion industry is known for (and which makes for good social media fodder), the Belgian designer himself appears to have a more thoughtful and nuanced approach to fashion, telling various industry titles that (to him), luxury is something to be appreciated by the wearer – not those looking on (in social media).
A quiet power, is what he called it. Below, we take a look at how Blazy brought his vision of "quiet power" to life – his way.
Notably, Blazy opened the show with a seemingly simple, everyday look – a tank top and denim jeans (old-school white tank tops appear to be having a moment – they also appeared prominently at Prada this season).
Zoom in and you'll realise that the entire look is actually leather (nubuck, to be precise) that has been astonishingly printed to appear so. Again, it ties in with Blazy's preference for pragmatism and Bottega Veneta's own reputation for luxury that is whispered, not shouted – much in line with what the house has been synonymous with since the '60s when was it first founded as a leather goods company in Vicenza, Italy.
Going by his Business of Fashion interview, Blazy is apparently not one for technology and "newnesss" – he stated that one doesn't have to use technology to create something that's visually new. To that end, he's doubled down on the crafts Bottega Veneta excels at. A key bag for the house next season is the Kalimero (pictured) – a textured shoulder number that features the famous intrecciato technique. The bag (and many accessories in this collection) are reportedly all made without stitching; they're all hand-woven.
In recent years, Bottega Veneta's classic intrecciato weave has sort of taken a backseat to the new bags introduced by Daniel Lee, who played up and oversized the woven motif through accessories such as the wildly popular Cassette bag. For Fall/Winter 2022, however, Blazy re-focused on the classic weave and introduced it into new categories such as these knee-high boots and even a pencil skirt. Again, all handwoven without the use of stitching.
It also turns up in new statement bags (that have yet to be named) but we're already eyeing them for next season.
There's a reason this outfit was photographed from the side – it shows off the curious, subtle C curve silhouette to its full effect, almost as if a strong wind was blowing against the wearer.
The subtle C curve also extends to accessories such as the platform pumps – of which the fiery orange fur design will surely be one of the strongest contenders for fun shoes of the season.
Perhaps the most memorable looks were the two that paired gently slouchy sweaters with big, extravagant leather skirts that came with a layer of fringe underneath. It spoke of movement (seriously, check it out in motion on video), craftsmanship and just the right dose of plain fun without being too serious. Can you just imagine the ASMR effect when walking with this fit on?