Bottega Veneta And Creative Director Daniel Lee Curate Salon 01

Luxury fashion has a long standing history of integrity and dignity to uphold and to honor its inaugural designers. Bottega Veneta is a prime example of upholding all mentioned above. For many years, Bottega Veneta (meaning Venetian workshop) has offered customers a unique collection of leather goods, shoes and luggage — and of course, apparel.

Respect must be paid with admiration for the houses achieved excellence, keeping genuinely traditional and fashion devotees hopeful for the long road of luxury apparel to continue its strong beat of artistic development, soaring into further lengths of prosperity with history at its core. Especially at a time when the fashion industry has gone through so many phases and of product make-up and modified style in such a short time.

The house was founded in 1966 in a north-eastern city of Italy, Vicenza, that is vastly known as the ‘city of gold’ for its historic trade in exquisite metals. Established by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro, the focal trajectory was to enter the market with fine leather goods, and that they did just that. Here we have the birth of the iconic intrecciato weave that is used predominantly in leather goods and is distinctly recognizable to the eye and what braids the companies formula of continuous lineage as the mascot technique. Classically intricate, the pattern has developed its identity to larger scale adaptations, allowing expanded evolvement defeating limitations. 

Fast forward after their steady rise to success, the late 70’s calls for the baton to be passed onto Taddei’s former wife, Laura Moltedo, as she takes the helm as Artistic Director. Gliding into 80’s, the art scene is in full swing and Bottega is a key player. For example, artists such as Andy Warhol —was one to endorse and hold the hand of the company, creating short films that immersed the brands designs and presence, complimenting each others status and reflective talent in the echelon scene.

On the contrary, The 90’s show a slight dip in the companies radiant figure in the fashion and cultural scene after appointing a new lead designer, Giles Deacon, however redeemed themselves when the Gucci group stepped in and acquired the house to then appoint Tomas Maier as their creative director. A strong focus on the intrecciato weave brought sophisticated attention and furthered their classically trained embellishment that proved the company could hold its own and slide back on top. 

It is a journey that is reminiscent of many of the elite fashion houses, unpredicted highs and lows with triumph and detriment. The proof is in the pudding of what makes a long lasting brand. More to the point, there comes a time when injecting rejuvenation of talent is called for to achieve the desired glorified ramification. 

Through the course of the years with challenges faced like many of their acquaintances, today the house stands strong with revitalized refinement that creative director Daniel Lee has summoned, harmonizing past and present, and staying respectfully distant from inflamed modern logo branding, though keeping with the nouveau appeal. His work inherits and celebrates a modernized adaptation to where fashion has landed today, but a true sense of its discrete and simplistic heritage lies steadily at the beating heart of every collection. Thus, these two adjacent factors that have equal blood flow come into play when Lee is designing with knowledgeable creativity in lieu of sacrificing the fashion houses classic and traditional style and achieving prosperity. Sleek, detailed and playful. 

Over the past year during a challenging era of restricted development for all luxury houses, Bottega has taken a strong grip of the reins and not succumb to detriment of any significance that was hovering over the industry, but has worked all angles of creative outlets possible to produce yet again a meaningful and in depth show for their recent debut collection.  In a word, there is no letup.

Summoning honest integrity and compliance to our social and economic being of todays demands, Bottega presents a sentimental showcase for Spring/Summer 21. For the launch of the collection that took place in December and hit stores in early March, Bottega Veneta firmly set-off to curate a distinctive socially-distanced presentation that is labeled Salon 01. There is an intrinsic passion that runs adjacent to their journey forward, nurturing the arts and the entire umbrella that merges all forms of talent, embracing a united form of supportive artistic evolution.

The invitees were seated in an immersed state of placement, and embodiment of what would only be a spiritual experience from observation. To honor this theory and notable concept the brand has taken on, the show was understandably presented at The Sadlers Wells Theatre in London, where a eclectic array of forefront leading cultural figures attended that they consider their ‘London community’. The well established luxury studio theatre is home to many leading contemporary dance companies and showcases top tier performers from all over the globe, a turf that has a historic grounding with christened air and respectful importance that is ghostly preserved with atmospheric movement and energy that was naturally apparent. 

Showcasing a taste of 60’s silhouettes and sartorial knitted garments and highlighting lime greens and dusty pinks, Lee displayed the depth of inspiration and execution was a harmonious outpour of creativity, gliding alongside a raw and honest unfiltered spoken record preached by Neneh Cherry where she relays her self thoughts on clothing that she considers ‘empowering armor’. Rounding out the completed demonstration, it is a family of 3 developed books that represent the passage from start to end, with behind the curtain photography, conceptual German artist Rosemarie Trockel sharing input on ones creative relationship to clothing and front seat images by Tyrone Lebon, capitalizing on capturing the decadence of the grand finale that was presented. Devouring our senses of intrigue by providing reward, this collection will go down with sentimental praise of what was to be a trying time in history. 

The wheel of power is truly placed in the hands of todays society for the industry that we currently lay in, with passionate on watchers allowing their hearts to accept the narrative that is revealed while being the driving force of opinion. Protecting heritage is a moral of true selflessness, and to abide by the laws of integration from generations that have passed with vulnerability to extend it onto their successors. 

One would assume that you must conform to the impact of realities possession of fashion today, considering it to be adversely mass marketed streetwear based and an assertive compliance that most must adhere to if triumph is desired. Presented here is our found glory of tradition meets modern world, a thankful pathway taken by Lee with a galant manner and intellectual grace. 

Presented in a setting that is home to many contemporary dance companies in London, The Sadlers Wells Theatre gave the atmospheric ghost of movement and energy that was naturally very apparent. Labeled ‘Salon 01’ (collection named Salon 01), the location was a specific integration to the collection as the company is an avid advocate of the arts and sought after an establishment of the grounded culture to enhance the collections internal spirit.