Responsible for forging Bottega Veneta’s current brand DNA as we know it, Daniel Lee has revamped the Italian fashion house for the modern world. Bright, bold, and unapologetic is how we would describe the inventive and contemporary designs of Daniel Lee’s Bottega Veneta that have accumulated a cult-like following over the past three years. With a physical store opening in SoHo later this week, Yesterday, the label unveiled the “Wardrobe 03” collection for the Resort 2022 season —Lee’s latest and final collection for the house.
With Lee’s unexpected exit last month, luxury conglomerate Kering recently announced Matthieu Blazy’s appointment as Bottega Veneta’s new creative director. Previously the ready-to-wear design director, Blazy has been along for the ride as Lee’s right-hand man behind-the-scenes. We can only hope the house’s signature “Bottega green,” clunky footwear, funky bags, chunky knits, flouncing feathers, woven leather, unconventional fabrications, and loud colorways will remain intact when he presents his first collection next season.
Unsurprisingly, Bottega Veneta’s Resort 2022 collection, dubbed Wardrobe 03, has maintained the brand’s central creative design codes from the distinctive era of Daniel Lee. The collection assortment gives the Bottega treatment to unexpected materials from the label, including fuzzy fur and luxe corduroy to intricately crocheted seashells doused in blindingly vibrant hues and psychedelic prints.
Funny enough, ‘Wardrobe 03’ went into production before Lee’s last show, Salon 03, in Detroit last October. While Lee might not have known at the time that this would be his last collection at the helm of Bottega, he indeed poured his heart into the enduring trademark craftsmanship of this Resort 2022 offering with envisioning a definitive collection of exceptionally unique and magnificently crafted pieces.
