A masterclass in modern elegance by Bottega Veneta
Seducing the fashion world once again with his masterful cuts and chromatic genius, Daniel Lee’s FW20 collection for BOTTEGA VENETA offers the kind of enduring chic we’re all craving
There are few designers who have wooed the fashion world as completely as Daniel Lee. The British designer has irrevocably changed how we dress since ‘soft launching’ his new Bottega Veneta vision in December 2018. While he is associated with fashion’s love affair with hyper-chic minimalism, the beauty of Lee’s designs actually lies in their complexity and chromatic confidence. Any perceived simplicity comes from the fact that each piece is so artfully constructed, you can create a directional look with minimum pieces (and therefore minimum effort).
Having established his hallmarks as subversive, cerebral and cool, Lee’s fall/winter ’20 offering (and third runway collection) was one of his finest yet. Creating an ease between body-conscious ribbed knits and fluid tailoring, the overarching mood is sexy, but subtly so. It is the details that truly set Lee’s design chops apart; in his talented hands an unassuming zip-front polo knit adopts a fashion-forward edge, courtesy of a flamboyant, super-sized collar.
On the runway, it splayed outwards, spilling extravagantly over the lapels of a beautiful, ankle-skimming, boucle double-breasted coat. With its deeply notched lapels, vintage-inspired cut and shiny, metallic top button, this is a coat that lends a luxe edge to a timeless silhouette. Completing the look with his ‘ugly-cool’ lug-soled Chelsea boots, he inverts any nostalgic idealisation; the new Bottega Veneta is a thoroughly modern affair.
Similarly, he modernized a ’60s mod-style suit by restraining the silhouette – opting for neat, clean lines over ostentation – but enlivened it with a lime-green shirt layered beneath. Finish the look with monochrome, modern Western boots – as seen here – to create a considered and confident look with just four pieces.
“Coming in an elegant teal with a smooth leather strap and a daring neon yellow
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It would be remiss not to mention Lee’s dexterous way with accessories. His ‘Pouch’ bag and barely-there sandals were widely fetishized following their debut, and once again he has turned his handbags and shoes into the season’s objects of intense desire. Reworking the Italian heritage house’s long serving intrecciato weave has become a signature of Lee’s, and to create his cult ‘Cassette’ shoulder bag, he pumped it up using puffy padded strips of leather. Coming in an elegant teal with a smooth leather strap and a daring neon yellow with a chunky gold chain handle, it adds an unexpected hit of color to the collection’s subdued navys and chic beiges.
If you’re looking for more of an everyday bag, the chuck-it-all-in capaciousness of the ‘Jodie’ tote will undoubtedly appeal. Immaculately laced leather strips form an ultra-refined intrecciato weave, and with an instantly recognisable knotted handle (another design delight pulled from the archives), it brings an elegant touch to your day-to-day style. Again, it comes in many of Lee’s signature playful hues, but this soft-tan version is a total no-brainer for complementing classic fall colors.
By nurturing the maison’s iconic house codes while evolving it through his own inimitable vision, Lee taps into the current call for exciting clothes that will go the distance. Unassuming yet instantly identifiable, they are eternally elegant pieces that will remain dutifully in our closets for years to come.