Bottega Veneta previews its first ever Men’s Early Fall Collection for 2016

Recently someone asked me how long Tomas Maier had been at the creative helm of Bottega Veneta, to which I answered, “since 2001”. Their response was immediate: “Oh, about the same time that Bottega became cool.” In the interest of journalistic integrity, that conversation is entirely accurate and true and without any unnecessary embellishment, which is only fitting for a brand that you will never find a logo embellished on. As the famous company motto goes, your own initials are enough.

Almost fifteen years ago Mr. Maier launched his first collection for Bottega Veneta to critical acclaim and has done so every season since. By consisting of what he calls “the four cornerstones” of Bottega: fine quality materials, extraordinary craftsmanship, contemporary functionality and timeless design, one only has to touch, feel and if lucky, wear a Bottega product to understand that he believes that any product is “a lot more interesting and challenging…by the way its designed and by the way its made.”

For Fall 2016, Bottega recently previewed its first ever early fall collection for men. When asked why the decision was made to do so, Mr. Maier told At Large, “It’s interesting for me to put the same emphasis on men’s as we do women’s, and to have the chance to evolve the wardrobe of pieces that we offer for men.” Additionally he said, “I wanted this collection to have a lightness, so that it can be worn right through the summer to the first months of fall.” Highlights of this collection include calfskin briefcases and document carriers that are shadow-printed with checks, while nappa leather totes are partially woven and embroidered. Desert boots are in calf suede, while lace-up boots and slip-on sneakers come in different shades of calf hair.

Asked if there was any one thing that inspired him to launch this early fall collection now, Mr. Maier told us, “It’s great to look at our essential pieces for men with new eyes, and to think about the silhouettes, the fabrics and the details. With a pre-collection for men, we can now evolve and refresh our staples, as well as propose new possibilities. I also wanted to find a new attitude for jeans. We’ve used Japanese denim in two new roomy cuts, one curve-legged with a belted back, the other more tapered.” He went on to say, “Everything we do at Bottega Veneta is about quality, innovation and special techniques. Every detail is there for a reason, in each piece we create.”