Louise Trotter’s debut for Bottega Veneta is all about calm cool

Louise Trotter opened her Bottega Veneta chapter by holding on to the craft that made the name. It’s obvious that the weave sits close to the skin, the leather folds without losing its memory, and the tailoring keeps its manners, which is very Bottega at its core. 

She frames the house as a real workshop, true to the word bottega, where the people who make the pieces and the people who wear them matter, and where the hand and the heart move together and that motto seems to be part of her Spring/Summer 2026 debut showcased during Milan Fashion Week

The route back to the beginning sets the pace for the now. Venice brings extravagance, New York brings energy and Milan brings essentialism, a trio that mirrors the brand’s own journey and nods to Laura Braggion’s tenure as the house’s first female creative lead. The collection is bound by the original idea of functionality developed for Intrecciato bags, with the classic nine and twelve millimetre scales making a return and the iconic weave acting as the connective tissue from clothing to accessories.

As for the clothes, techniques and materials slide across categories. There is summer-weight tailoring, Nappa leather trench coats with give, and cotton-lined evening gowns where the internal structure matters. Both womenswear and menswear are made in factories and workshops known for the discipline of Italian masculine tailoring, which brings rigour and fine detailing to every piece.

The bags are also designed to evoke the fashion house’s portfolio over the years. For the Lauren Louise tweaked its proportions, whereas the Knot was relazed into a softer hold and the Cabat can be cut away to become a clutch, with its triangular bones quietly shaping the shoulders of the clothes. New arrivals also include the Squash, an elongated Framed Tote and the Crafty Basket that showcases high-level handwork.

The year also marks six decades since the brand’s founding in 1966, and the show sounds that history through an audio artwork by Steve McQueen titled ’66–’76, which weaves together Nina Simone and David Bowie’s recordings of “Wild Is the Wind” into a duet, an aural Intrecciato that speaks to complementary parts becoming stronger together. 

The final impression is that Bottega does not need sensation to move forward, rather, it needs a clear hand and direction, and this debut indicates both.