FOR PASSION WITH PATIENCE. Bottega Veneta’s Tomas Maier touches on the brand’s 50th anniversary and reveals his inspiring personal perspectives on what passion for fashion really requires
Long before he became the creative driving force of Bottega Veneta, Tomas Maier had already been a force to be reckoned with. Schooled at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris, he has worked with legends like Guy Laroche and designed for storied fashion houses, Hermès. It was in 2001 when Bottega Veneta tapped him as the brand’s creative director with total creative control over everything from product design to advertising to store design. This proved to be a most fortunate choice as Maier wasted no time in returning Bottega Veneta to its roots, thus turning it into the luxury lifestyle brand it is today. More than 15 years later, and coinciding with the brand’s 50th anniversary, he once again showcased his true colors with a spring/summer collection to remember.
Models wearing pastel-toned suits at the backstage
DA MAN: Let’s talk about Bottega Veneta’s spring/summer 2017 collection. The patches of leather for the bags, shoes and jackets of the collection are definitely exciting. Do you believe that good fashion design must always include some sort of geometric elements like these?
Tomas Maier: I always like making things simple. A sweater and shirt, a shirt and a pair of pants—this is what I like. It’s simple, but of course it’s incredibly sophisticated. Many of the clothes have leather details that can be detached. They give a graphic element that widens the hips and makes the bust look smaller.
Models wearing pastel-toned suits at the backstage
DA MAN: What was the most difficult part of creating this particular collection?
Tomas Maier: As a designer, it is about creating a very deliberate mix of the mental and the physical. I want to design things that combine intellect, emotion, craft and functionality, having in mind our clients who are confident and sophisticated men, who express their personality with individualism. They are such a challenge to make and are so complex, and I love that the result looks so super-simple. That is how the best design should be: invisible.
A boot with leather patches
DA MAN: Compared to the outgoing fall/winter collection, this one tends to appear more relaxed and casual. What was it that you wanted to get across from this particular collection?
Tomas Maier: This collection marks the 50th anniversary of the brand, and we wanted to celebrate by staying true to the essence of Bottega Veneta. For me, it is always about simple and easy things that are special for those people who appreciate them. The hard work in their creation is invisible to the eye, and the result a pleasure to wear.
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