Our Inner Child Is Revived at the Bottega Veneta S/S 2025 Show
Graphic by Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez
Imagination, nostalgia and familiarity were ever-present at Bottega Veneta’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection that debuted Saturday night for the fifth day of Milan Fashion Week.
Matthieu Blazy, creative director of the Italian luxury fashion house, knows how to grab the public’s attention with the exploration of clothing throughout his presentations and this show is no exception.
For this collection, Blazy wanted to visit simpler times; childhood. He notes that the idea of wonder as a child drives many to try something for the first time, like raiding your parent’s closet to play dress-up, is “...almost like primal fashion.”
As guests arrived at the venue, they were greeted by animal-shaped beanbag chairs, a complete 180° compared to other shows from MFW. The chairs, designed by Blazy, were inspired by Zanotta Sacco chairs from the 1960s, with a wildlife twist.
For example, newly appointed brand ambassador Jacob Elordi got a bunny, rapper A$AP Rocky a chicken and actress Michelle Yeoh a ladybug.
Other notable guests included model Kendall Jenner, TikToker’s Jools Lebron and Nara Smith, actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach and boxer Imane Khelif. Many, if not all, guests were delighted to see an influx of animals awaiting their arrival.
As guests greeted each other and waited for the show to commence, the room became dark with red lights being the only light source.
Suddenly, a white light lit up and the show commenced. The opening model wore an oversized dark gray suit set, a lighter gray embroidered button-up, a gray belt with a bunny buckle, a leather handbag resembling a flower bouquet and ‘Intrecciato’ motif white pumps. This is classic Bottega right here and it is done flawlessly.
The house staple ‘Intrecciato’ design is prominently seen in handbags, clutches and shoes, which will be hot commodities once released next year.
Shortly after, reds, browns, blues and grays in dresses, oversized suits and accessories took command of the runway.
Out of the first 20 looks, the 16th stands out mainly in its details. The model flaunts circle silver earrings, a lovely dramatic-collared white dress, a frog brooch, a multicolored handbag with fringe and nude heels that have red and yellow accents with a frog, of course.
After sweater vests, tassel dresses and leather ties made their way down the chic zoo, we see a fashion ick make a debut; wrinkled clothing. T-shirts, pants and suits are heavily wrinkled and look disheveled. Yet, there is a reason behind this stylistic choice.
Blazy mentions that the crinkled clothing is meant to represent the aftermath of a good time during recess. This collection is for our inner child to live their best life through the Bottega lens.
Ombre knitted separates, feathered dresses, snakeskin skirts and zebra printed jackets are made to bring the wild side of adults through clothing. Whether you are a CEO or a college student, you can finally enter the world of adulthood with the help of familiar prints and a sense of nostalgia. It’s animal-inspired without being obvious.
A model wearing a black dress with red and silver pins dangling with gold and zebra printed layers, a woven white handbag, and black pumps is a well-done look that makes childhood memories seamlessly fashionable and cohesive.
As the show is about to close, the final look is one to note. The model was wearing a frizzy white leather headpiece, a red and gold pin necklace, a long silver dress with zebra and floral layers and red pumps with red florals on them. This look is the adult version of dress up and it is the perfect way to end off.
After the finale, Blazy runs onto the runway wearing a white T-shirt, a gray sweater wrapped around his waist, blue jeans and white sneakers.
Overall, this season of Bottega was fascinating and appealing. From the seating to the detailing of pieces, Blazy loves the small details that add to the bigger picture. Blazy had some big shoes to fill in after former creative director Daniel Lee left for Burberry. I can confidently say that those shoes are starting to get bigger after this collection.