Bottega Veneta AW13

Small, unexpected details – hidden seams, deliberate lines, and the subtle creation of volume, all told a narrative of intricate construction and precision at yesterday's Bottega Veneta show. The first look, a black coat with soft organic wool pleats that shaped the front of the body, set the mark for a collection that used luxury fabrics to extend the silhouette of the female form.

The surface texture of these fabrics became another device for extension. At first with a red and white silk which was embroidered onto a wool flannel dress, creating a subtle texture and interesting shapes that ran down the body. Then came raffia, which was sewn onto a pearl flannel almost disguising the original fabric and leaving loose bits to flow in its wake. It also formed vertical lines as decoration on other looks, echoing a similar pearl sheer mesh dress.

Colour was also used with precision this season, ranging from pop reds, pale oranges, and a deep rust. It was with this use of colour that one could really see the construction of volume, from the extended 2D shapes around the waist, to the sharp geometric shoulders.

www.bottegaveneta.com

Hair: Guido Palau

Makeup: Pat McGrath

Models pictured: Fei Fei Sun-@FeiFeiSunSun, Suvi Koponen-@SuviMK, Marine Deleeuw-@DeleeuwMarine, Tilda Lindstam-@tildalindstam, Raquel Zimmerman-@RaqzZimmermann