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Tomas Maier’s final collection for Bottega Veneta goes back to basic with the idea of a cube. JACQUIE ANG examines its significance

- Jacquie Ang

BOTTEGA VENETA’S LATEST Maison wasn’t just another store opening. Situating the third — and biggest — flagship boutique in New York inspired Tomas Maier to dream up his Autumn/Winter 2018 collection, revolving around the denizens of the city that never sleeps. “New Yorkers have a real bravery and boldness,” he mused on how they own their freedom of expression. “Nothing stops them. Nothing seems impossible.”

With their multi-faceted lifestyles in mind, he conceptualised a 66look collection for the Bottega Veneta man and woman. “I was thinking about the way of life in the city, which goes from one extreme to another,” he shared of its palette of rich colours. “A New Yorker is not afraid to stand out in the crowd.”

He proposed suits for women in punchy hues for work, while evening called for smouldering numbers including Gigi Hadid’s finale gown in velvet and lace. Statement pieces made dressing up effortless. Consider Adwoa Aboah’s fringed wool coat or Sijia Kang’s striking tiger stripes on an oversized wool coat that’s bonded with satin for a sumptuous robe-like feel. That’s the thing about Bottega Veneta — true luxury lies in the subtle, sometimes hidden, details. Linus Wordemann’s suede jacket sported a rugged patina, but its interior was just as exceptional with multicoloured shearling.