Matthieu Blazy Ushers In A New Age Of Silent Luxury At Bottega Veneta

The opening look at Bottega Veneta’s Fall/Winter 2022 show: a plain white ribbed tank top and faded blue jeans – by all accounts, the rudimentary building blocks of an everyday uniform with roots in working class culture. A look this simple should not have such a stranglehold over our mental space, even given the fact that the two garments are crafted out of nubuck leather by the brand’s artisans, then dyed to look otherwise.

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Personifying its sublime subtlety is the man behind the look: one Matthieu Blazy, who makes his debut as the Italian house’s creative director this season. Having worked in key positions under some of fashion’s most directional names, the 35-year-old has long been considered an industry darling. With his appointment, some might say that his day has finally come, but he isn’t too preoccupied with making a big and splashy statement.

“I really wanted to go back to the idea of quiet power… Style over screaming image,” he says in an interview with the trade publication Business of Fashion. “I’m also interested in just making a great pair of trousers. Can you move in them? Do they feel comfortable? Do they look good? Do you have a sense of allure and style in them? … The idea of allure (is important.)”

Blazy evidently believes more in intimate suggestions and gestures than overt trendiness. While this can sound functionalist, the Belgian has found a seamless way of weaving together pragmatism and pure desirability (things have to sell, after all). Consider his sharp pea coats that come with an unexpected convex curve at the back, creating the effect of walking against a strong wind. Or the billowy A-line leather skirts with lush underlying layers of tactile, hay-like threads that jangle with every stride, making them extra kicky. It’s the kind of stuff that sticks in the consciousness long after a season and its hundreds of shows are over.

The accompanying Fall/Winter 2022 campaign builds on Blazy’s predilection for a more expansive Bottega Veneta voice. Encapsulated in a physical print zine that’s distributed in the brand’s boutiques, it’s presented as a pictorial diary of a multi-generational cast living their lives – one particular image features a middle-aged woman soaking up the sun. Notably, the whole initiative was captured by both emerging and established photographers from non-fashion fields, which might explain its lived-in feel. “Bottega Veneta was created by a collective of artisans,” says Blazy in the collection’s press notes. “This is the history and this is how we approached the campaign: together with many different ways of seeing.”

That desire for a multiplicity of perspectives is reflected in how Blazy is often described to be the rare democratic unicorn that prefers to share glory with his team rather than claiming it all for his own. Refreshingly – especially in this ultra-competitive industry – he doesn’t shy away from championing the works of other designers on his personal Instagram account (@matthieu_blazy). He had grown up surrounded by art and one need only to look at his social media account to get the sense that this is a person who enjoys art, current affairs and, quite simply, everyday life as much as he does fashion – see the many snaps of John John, the pooch he shares with his partner, Pieter Mulier of Alaia.

Breaking out of silos has been the way forward in many fields and it has been artistically (and commercially) rewarding for the fashion designers who keep at it with authenticity – Jonathan Anderson of Loewe comes to mind. Blazy is evidently of a similar ilk.

There are growing hints of how he intends to grow the Bottega Veneta universe. At press time, the brand had just unveiled a tie-up with New York’s iconic Strand Bookstore in the form of a trio of leather totes stamped with the literary institution’s logo, along with a book list curated by Blazy. He’s even revived Bottega Veneta’s signature tagline, “When Your Own Initials Are Enough”, which was introduced in the ’70s yet has proven even more prescient in a social-media-first age that chases youth, flashiness and hype.

As ostentation grows more rampant, perhaps so too does its antithesis – the demand for things that are well thought-out and tempered with a just-so dose of eclecticism. Case in point: the Kalimero bag that Blazy debuts at Bottega Veneta this season – a bucket-style design with an extra-long, supple strap meant to be thrown over the shoulder and carried like a bindle. It might seem odd that such a basic proposal, so to speak, might be considered radical, but here we are.

While Blazy is still in the infancy of establishing his take on Bottega Veneta, perhaps he can take comfort in the words of veteran fashion critic Cathy Horyn, who said his Fall/Winter 2022 debut reminds her of Martin Margiela – specifically his tenure at Hermes in the ’90s – and how he’s elevated the quotidian into a self-possessed idea of luxury. It’s good company to be in.

Ahead, some pickings from his debut collection which will raise the chic factor for your everyday wardrobe.

1/10

Cassette calfskin shoulder bag, $5,010

2/10

Kalimero small calfskin bucket bag, $10,570

3/10

Sardine lambskin top handle bag, $5,850

4/10

Pad Cross-Body lambskin shoulder bag, $4,530

5/10

Embossed calfskin platform Mary Janes, $2,460

6/10

Lambskin pumps, $1,440

7/10

Leather boots, price unavailable

8/10

Sterling silver earrings, $1,560

9/10

Sterling silver earrings, $990

10/10

Acetate sunglasses, price unavailable

This article is adapted from a story in the Oct 2022 Reality Edition of FEMALE