The sun has risen, you creak the bedroom
windows open and let the linen curtains blow
in the morning breeze. As you head down
OLYMPIA JCREW
WOMEN WHO WIN
In 2021, a relatively unknown designer named Matthieu Blazy succeeded Daniel Lee as creative director at Bottega Veneta. Lee – now creative director at Burberry – is largely credited with reinventing the leather-goods brand in his three-year tenure (he is responsible for Bottega Green, after all) but Blazy was his second-in-command.
Blazy joined the house in 2020 as ready-to-wear design director, after holding senior positions at Maison Margiela, Phoebe Philo’s Celine and Calvin Klein alongside Raf Simons (he also started his career as menswear designer of Simons’ eponymous label). In 2014, New York Magazine dubbed him “The most famous designer you’ve never heard of”, after Kanye West wore crystal-encrusted masks designed by Martin Margiela for his 2013-2014 Yeezus tour.
However, in 2024, after three years at Bottega Veneta, Blazy was announced as Chanel’s new artistic director. Like Lee, his short tenure at the house will be remembered for delivering fresh perspective while also honouring its history.
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It would be easy to distill Bottega Veneta down to the accessories – after all, it’s what the house is best known for. The ‘Sardine’ and ‘Andiamo’ bags, for example, have both become much-coveted (and much-copied) sensations from Blazy’s era. But it’s the clothes; the craftsmanship; and, above all, the world-building that really sets Blazy’s Bottega apart.
For his debut Autumn/Winter 2022 collection, the first look on the runway was a white vest and jeans. Except it wasn’t – both pieces were carefully constructed from nubuck leather, showcasing a level of skill and thoughtfulness that we have now come to expect from the designer.
For Spring/Summer 2025, Blazy seated guests on animal-shaped bean bags – and immediately broke the internet. Manufactured by Zanotta and constructed from colourful leather, celebrities and editors alike sat on playful, nursery-style chairs that reflected the spirit of the collection. SS25, as written in the show notes, is a “refusal to put away childish things”, with oversized silhouettes evoking a sense of dressing up in adult clothing.
But the pieces were still incredibly chic. Power blazers, crisp shirts and asymmetric wrap skirts adorned models carrying bunches of flowers wrapped in brown paper, as though returning from a market. Looks were accented with metallic, animal-shaped brooches; deep tonal colours and textures providing a multi-faceted feast for the eyes. This continued into tumbling ruffled dresses, tasselled leather skirts and patterned knitwear.
The extremely wearable was balanced with the out-of-this-world, too. Zany fringed wigs and boas; violin bags in the house’s signature intrecciato leather; and crumpled, shrunken suits and trench coats inspired audiences to think outside of the box when it comes to being a grown-up. After all, why shouldn’t you carry a mermaid-printed shopping bag, wear fluffy heels with bunny ears or pair a glistening, matchstick-embellished shirt with a matching skirt?
The show notes asked guests: ‘Can you find power in sweetness?’ The answer was a resounding yes.
Bottega Veneta
Matthieu Blazy’s last hurrah
The ‘Andiamo’ bag debuted at Blazy’s sophomore show for the house and is now available in a variety of sizes; its rectangle, top-handle silhouette and knotted-metal hardware instantly recognisable and flaunted by a dedicated troupe of celebrity fans. And while they don’t come cheap, the house launched a lifetime warranty on its bags in 2022, with its Certificate of Craft service offering unlimited complimentary refreshes and repairs.
Elsewhere, the Zanotta bean-bag chairs, shaped like chickens, ladybirds and whales, from SS25’s runway are now (unsurprisingly) sold out. Blazy followed them up with a capsule collection in partnership with author and illustrator Richard Scarry – the standout item being a re-imagination of the children’s classic Biggest Word Book Ever!, complete with a cover crafted from woven intrecciato leather. With Blazy departing the house, anyone lucky enough to have snagged one of these will now own a piece of fashion history.
We’ve selected our top investment Bottega buys from the label’s Spring/Summer 2025, including the perfect holdall bag, statement brooch and everyday trench.
£6,090
Large Andiamo Bag
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the DESIGNER
THE ICONS
THE MARIE CLAIRE EDIT
In late 2023, Bottega Veneta announced the opening of Accademia Labor et Ingenium, a school to foster the next generation of artisanal talent. The name derives from the brand’s founding values, as seen in its original company crest: labor et ingenium, which translates as craft and creativity.
Based between the Bottega Veneta atelier in Montebello Vicentino, northern Italy and a space at the brand’s manufacturing site in nearby Povolaro, Dueville, Accademia Labor et Ingenium serves as a permanent workshop; a place where Bottega Veneta employees, new hires and external students learn from master artisans through training activities, workshops and courses.
A central pillar of the academy is a comprehensive training program for 50 students a year, with guaranteed employment at Bottega Veneta upon completion of the course. In a release at the time, Leo Rongone, Bottega Veneta’s CEO said: “Accademia Labor et Ingenium is a key strategic pillar to preserve Bottega Veneta’s unique savoir faire. With the Accademia, we take the collective ethos at the heart of Bottega Veneta to a new level, building on our rich history of skill-sharing and innovation to nurture the artisans of the future.”
Indeed, one-of-a-kind leather bags were crafted by students for the SS25 show.
THE IMPACT
Where do we start? From brand ambassadors Jacob Elordi and A$AP Rocky to A-listers Julianne Moore and Michelle Yeoh, Blazy has enlisted the crème de la crème of Hollywood in his Bottega journey. Fans of the label’s off-duty style include Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Margot Robbie, Dua Lipa (you get the picture), while its red-carpet looks are staples for Ayo Edebiri, Nicole Kidman, Greta Lee and Tracee Ellis Ross.
Bottega Veneta fan club
STYLE BRIEFING
STYLE NOTES
jULIANNE MOORE
ALE
JACOB ELORDI
KENDALL JENNER
Kendall Jenner
the COLLECTION
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words: Rebecca Jane Hill
senior Art Editor: Ana Opsina
Sub Editor: Nicola Moyne
£1,620
Rana Large Brooch
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£425
Sardine oval sunglasses
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£4,210
Draped jacquard midi dress
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£1,080
Step metallic leather pumps
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£2,150
Crushed Cotton Coat
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‘It’s the clothes; the craftsmanship;
and, above all, the world-building that really
sets Blazy’s Bottega apart’
‘For Spring/Summer 2025, Blazy seated guests on animal-shaped bean bags – and immediately broke the internet’
