Tomas Maier thought carefully about the sportswear codes his were to take forward this season in order to stay as ahead of the menswear curve as he is known for. Â Indeed, while chic dark suiting ruled the roost at the premier Italian luxury goods house and long leathers coats were constructed for the mean streets, a closer look at the innate construction of AW16 reveals an informality that gave sporty new hope.
The active collection cleverly ran the well-presented luxury gamut to entice both new and old customers, setting up various subtle contradictions, broadly spaced double-breasted suits and lithe scarfs slithering around the neck for instance.
Earthy twill and tartan-esque patterns collided with the foil-like sheen of crumpled embossed leather elsewhere, keeping us the edge of our seats throughout.
Snazzy velveteen suits marked the nearing of the finale and harked back to seventies lounge-lizard wear. At this point a bundle of Bottega’s best new accessories where the must-have male clutch bag or holdall of the moment, contrasting well against the murky tones of the clothing in smooth leathers of uniform dull silver and ocean blues and greens.
When the collection did eventually reach it’s tidy climax a handful of Pre-Fall looks monopolised the runway and looked the most relevant to a collection, sans any drivel gender-fluid sentiment, than we’ve seen all season. Yes, it’s safe to say that Maier has hit another homerun for his brand this AW.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Bottega Veneta