Autumn Winter 2012 marked a fairly dramatic departure for Tomas Maier and his Bottega Veneta crew. While keeping the luxe touches that made the brand a sartorial force to be reckoned with, Maier also injected some rock'n'roll attitude into his newest collection. Drainpipe jeans (often creased), Cuban heels and leather biker jackets - one of them in silver even! - added to the feeling of us going to a gig rather than watching a fashion show. But Maier started with his signature tailoring, adorning the jackets with circular and angular patterns in burgundy, navy and burnt orange. It's not a new story but one that Bottega does well; the unusual colour details make the excellent fabrics and precise cuts stick out even more, getting well-deserved nods of approval.

The glamour kicked off with a silver shirt and continued with shiny plastic details on herringbone suits, croc skin loafers and biker jacket collars over plain suit jackets. Towards the end, Maier also pursued a more army-inspired look, sending out dark and cropped cavalry jackets, many of them teamed up with ribbed trouser leggings. The result was a tall and slim silhouette, and a good example of what Bottega Veneta's vision of a luxurious army-inspired rock star wardrobe looks like...

Dazed Digital: What inspired the collection?
Tomas Maier: I was inspired by lean, long and vertical silhouettes... I wanted to cleanse the palette. We also looked towards army and cavalry jackets for influences. 

DD: There was a clear nod towards rock, pop and the musicians playing the music...
Tomas Maier: Everyone wants to play an instrument, we're all frustrated musicians!