Bottega Veneta Curated the Hottest Front Row at Milan Fashion Week
Every season, Italian fashion powerhouse Bottega Veneta presents one of the most awaited fashion shows at Milan Fashion Week. The unveiling of creative director Matthieu Blazy’s latest collection didn’t stray away from the honest creativity and narrative-driven storytelling of previous runways.
In addition to a creative setup showcasing Bottega Veneta’s new limited edition project, The Ark, the brand exhibited its social capital by reuniting some of the biggest global tastemakers. The gathering wasn’t limited to names in the entertainment biz but spanned sportspeople, artists and other figures shaping the cultural zeitgeist.
The Power of Sincerity
Beautifully crafted clothes that give off the illusion of simplicity have marked Matthieu Blazy’s tenure at Bottega Veneta. Mixing minimalism and delicate craftsmanship, the designer has repeatedly made a point: there’s always more than meets the eye. The brand’s Spring Summer 2025 show embraced this principle with a lineup of ordinary-looking masterpieces. Leather shirts and bags simulated the appearance of the classic flannel shirt and mundane plastic bags. Cheating the eye, asymmetrical skirts channeled the infamous skirt-over-pants combination slowly making its return to the mainstream since 2023.
There were less subtle nods to the past. The oversized suits with extra large shoulders, the high-waisted pencil skirts and the sports jackets with dropped shoulders took the audience back to the ‘80s. Playing with the collection’s inspiration — the refusal to put “childish” things behind, as the show notes read — Blazy also sent down the runway quirky bunny-eared mules, imagery reminiscent of beloved childhood items and spiky headpieces. Crumpled fabric looks were purposely styled to mimic the corporate-worker-running-late trope often portrayed in old-school media.
Just like many designers and fashion houses have done in recent years, Bottega Veneta’s collection tapped into nostalgia, albeit, Blazy’s take on the 1980s was smartly and honestly executed. Balancing obvious design references from the past with intrinsically modern codes, the runway was equal parts playful, chic and heartwarming.
The Ark
To accompany his nostalgia-infused collection, Matthieu Blazy commissioned a chair collection inspired by the groundbreaking Zanotta Sacco chair by Gatti-Paolini-Teodoro. Bottega’s limited edition launch, however, carries an endearing twist, featuring a slew of animal forms from dinosaurs, elephants and bears to dogs, rabbits and cats.
“Blazy’s reinterpretation of the Sacco merges the chair’s fluidity with playful animal forms to evoke creativity, wonder, and boundless imagination,” shared the brand. The designs flawlessly aligned with the show’s inspiration, referencing a scene in the 1982 cult film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, where the adorable E.T. hides in a pile of stuffed animals.
The animal-shaped beanbags were lined up on each side of the runway to receive guests — each animal, playfully set to match the A-lister sitting on it. Michelle Yeoh was assigned a graceful ladybug; actors Rowoon and Jacob Elordi got the rabbit chairs; and K-pop star I.N’s seating was a pouf fashioned after a horse.
The Front Row
Keeping a finger on the pulse of cultural conversations, Bottega Veneta reunited a varied group of personalities on its front row. Front-row regulars such as rapper ASAP Rocky, model Kendall Jenner and actor Julienne Moore returned to watch Blazy’s newest collection. But not everything was about American entertainment.
Asian figures across generations, including actors Shu Qi, Michelle Yeoh, Rie Miyazawa, Dew Jirawat, Rowoon and Kanyawee Songmuang (Thanaerng) bestowed the VIP section with Asian Pacific power. South Korean heartthrob Rowoon, star of Destined with You, and Thai actor Dew — both Fashion Week fixtures across fashion capitals — opted for head-to-toe black outfits, matching the most elegant side of the brand’s aesthetics.
Meanwhile, very demure, very mindful content creator, Jools Lebron, and Nara Smith, the face of the trad-wife movement, repped the social media crowd. Other guests present at the collection unveiling included actors Yara Shahidi, Bruna Marquezine and Jacob Elordi.
Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif stood out among the sea of notable front-row guests, donning a fall-appropriate mustard yellow shirt and leather pants. At her arrival, the Algerian medalist even starred in a viral moment, cooly replying “Yes, thank you,” to a photographer, who reminded her that she was a “[redacted] champion.”
Proving the fast rise of K-pop group Stray Kids as fashion power players, singer I.N (one of the eight members of the music act) was also part of the stylish crowd. I.N served Gen Z energy in a coordinated set paired with chunky sole chukka boots. To top off the classic Bottega ensemble, the singer made a case for wet hair and sported a curtain bang hairstyle — as many of the hottest heartthrobs have done in 2024.
Childhood Dreams
Combining mischief, sophistication and a genuine appreciation for childhood, Matthieu Blazy paid a heartfelt hommage to the past. The designer masterfully incorporated quirky elements into chic designs, speaking on the need to keep our childlike wonder and experimental instinct alive.
“In the collection, a new kind of power dressing is evoked: the power of sincerity, playfulness and chic awkwardness,” the show notes wrote. For a change, no further designer explanation was needed.
Interested in more fashion news? Check out how the latest Prada collection explored the infinite present here.
