The National Times - Bottega Veneta goes for 'E.T.' chic as Madonna pops into D&G

"For this show, I took as my starting point the scene from Spielberg's film 'E.T.', when the mother opens the closet to reveal a world of stuffed animals..." Bottega Veneta's artistic director Matthieu Blazy explained backstage.

"The surprise of an imaginary world, the world of childhood, where everything is possible, where everything is a game, a joy, an adventure," he said.

Blazy sought to recreate children trying on their parents' clothing, or even the first day of school, "when parents have prepared the perfect outfit for their child, who comes back with everything upside down."

That resulted in dresses just a bit too big, outfits with one leg in pants, the other in a skirt, superimpositions or creases.

As for the dress embroidered with matches?

"It's the object of childhood's forbidden game, intrepid and dangerous," he said.

Earlier Saturday, no less a superstar than Madonna sat in the front row of the Dolce & Gabbana show -- her face barely visible under a black lace veil.

The catwalk became a tribute to the "Material Girl", with all models in blond wigs, some in corsets with pointy breasts, others in black men's tuxedos embellished with trouser braces.

But at Bottega Veneta, not only fashion fans were watching, but investors too.

Founded in 1966 in Vicenza in the northeastern Italian region of Veneto, the label renowned for its woven leather goods and expert craftsmanship became a part of France's Kering group in 2001.

And with Kering's flagship brand Gucci currently in a sales dive -- down 20 percent in the first half of this year -- the company is hoping to make the most of its smaller and less showy Italian brand.

In the first half of 2024, Bottega Veneta posted revenue growth of three percent to 836 million euros ($933 million), whereas Gucci's revenue, while down significantly, was 4.1 billion euros -- nearly half of Kering's entire revenue of nine billion euros.

So while Bottega Veneto may be a drop in the the luxury group's ocean, it is a promising one -- and one that goes hand in hand with its distinctive approach to fashion.

A coveted brand that is notably absent from social networks, Bottega Veneta thrives on discreet hyper-exclusivity, led by the Franco-Belgian Blazy, who took over as creative director at the end of 2021.

- Tell-tale 'intrecciato' -

With sumptuous materials that flirt with trompe-l'oeil and cult pieces such as jeans-like pants in buttery calf leather selling for 5,200 euros, Bottega Veneta has built up considerable cult status in recent years under Blazy.

The brand eschews logos on its products, instead letting its famous "intrecciato", or signature woven leather, speak for itself, or incorporating a brass "nodo" or knot as an essential design element into shoes and other accessories.

The brand has also strategically snubbed social networks. In 2021, it deleted its Instagram account only for fans to take over an unofficial "newbottega" account so as not to miss any of the latest news.

Passionate about contemporary art and design, Blazy fuels the brand's projects through collaborations with photographers and creatives.

Some are even revealed during fashion shows themselves, such as last year's 400 chairs designed by furniture and art designer Gaetano Pesce, who died in April, or the February homage to architect Le Corbusier with a reinterpretation of his Tabouret Cabanon.

The recent opening of Palazzo Van Axel in Venice will now welcome Bottega Veneta's exclusive clients to discover the world of the brand in a fully restored palace in the heart of the watery city.

There, personalised services include the opportunity to choose from luxurious leathers or unique pieces not available in stores.

The palace will also host exhibitions, special projects and the presentation of Bottega Veneta's high-end jewellery collection in November.

E.Reid--TNT