Bottega Veneta has become king of the stealth blockbuster campaign drop (remember Sheila Atim and her exquisite sofa?) For the release of its Wardrobe 02 collection, creative director Daniel Lee called upon no fewer than 30 influential figures to model the pre-fall 2021 edit. Among them? Rappers Skepta, Slowthai and Little Simz, music industry legends Neneh Cherry and Tricky, Small Axe star Malachi Kirby, who just scooped his first BAFTA, London’s first young people’s laureate Caleb Femi, and Vogue’s own Venetia Scott.
The pool of creatives hold their own against seasoned models Anna Ewers and Anok Yai in the Tyrone Lebon-lensed lookbook of Lee’s latest work: a capsule of modern essentials. Pieces to live in, such as sleek leather tailoring, are accompanied by others to spice them up with, including a fabulous Bottega-green halterneck dress shimmering with paillettes.
The resounding takeaway from the Bottega-verse, as usual, is the accessories. Puddle boots come in a bold egg-yolk yellow (as modelled by Scott and Simz), while Bloc boots are newly spangled and choked with micro crystals (look to the artist Sue Webster for the shoulders-back, hips-forward confidence with which to wear them). The Mount–a sleek leather envelope style–is the major handbag focus and will tick the box for Daniel Lee acolytes still weighing up whether to invest in a Chain Pouch or Cassette (Italian actor Valeria Golino’s raintree colourway looks particularly chic).
Wardrobe 02’s easy-to-wear proposition, interjected with impactful, Instagrammable buys, fills the gap until the next Bottega salon show. Lee has certainly set the bar high. Last season’s Sadler’s Wells presentation saw Kanye West make headlines, despite the fact the event was shrouded in complete secrecy. Brace yourselves, the Bottega juggernaut continues apace.
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
