Over the spring/summer 2026 season, there was no debut more celebrated than Louise Trotter’s for Bottega Veneta. In a sea of male-dominated debuts, she emerged triumphant, the clothes speaking a story on their own. One that showed that designers are in the art of selling beauty; of selling love.
Bringing her steady string of experiences—from Calvin Klein to Lacoste—to the fro, this was a designer who fully understood that she was now working within the realms of a completely new language. In her own notes for spring, the focus still fell on the Intrecciato and its significance for the house, applied to detachable collars of trench coats, or recomposed in knotted closures. But there was plenty of breathtaking tactile exploration too; her shimmering tinsel skirts and tops that were made from recycled fiberglass drew eyes from every corner of the room and the Internet.
And that was just the beginning. Having put out her initial gestures of what her Bottega will look like—one tempered by craft, material, and a sense of restraint—one can’t help but wonder what her sophomore collection will bring. With the house’s fall/winter 2026 show happening in Milan today, there’s plenty to look forward to. As for the invite list, it seems friends of the house and brand ambassadors like I.N of Stray Kids and Dew Jirawat are expected to make their appearances as well.
Tune into the Bottega Veneta fall/winter 2026 show happening live from Milan on Sunday, 1 March, 3AM SGT.
