From leather “jeans” to heirloom bags, discover how Matthieu Blazy turned Bottega Veneta into the quiet-luxury benchmark that actually moves.
Bottega Veneta x Matthieu Blazy : the pivot that changed the conversation
Matthieu Blazy took the helm of Bottega Veneta in November 2021, and his first runway in February 2022 reset the brand’s compass in a single stride. The message landed fast : no shouty logos, just precision cut, deep craft and clothes that look effortless but are engineered to last. The much-photographed leather “denim” and Kalimero bucket bag set the tone, while the Andiamo soon after became a house emblem.
Founded in 1966 in Vicenza, Bottega Veneta has always prized discretion. Blazy pressed that heritage forward with a modern hand : Italian ateliers, the intrecciato weave elevated across ready-to-wear, and trompe-l’oeil techniques that trick the eye yet honor the hand. For shoppers searching clarity on what makes his era different, the answer is simple to see on the runway and in-store, season after season.
Matthieu Blazy’s Bottega Veneta : what changed since 2022
The main idea is straightforward. Blazy re-centered the brand on tangible value – construction, materials, cut – while keeping silhouettes alive and mobile. The problem he solved : luxury drifted into logomania and trend churn, while clients wanted pieces that feel intimate and elevated without shouting.
Since that debut in February 2022, shows in Milan mapped a clear arc. Spring 2023 leaned into everyday polish with subversive ease. Fall 2023 expanded the wardrobe with protective coats and fluid tailoring. Spring 2024 brought nature prints and featherlight movement that photographed beautifully yet stayed grounded in craft.
There is context behind the clothes. Bottega Veneta’s roots in Veneto’s leather know-how date back to the late 1960s, and the house line “When your own initials are enough” framed the 1970s approach to luxury. Blazy simply reconnected the dots for 2020s customers who buy less, but better.
Design codes that stick : leather wizardry, quiet color, real life fit
Plenty of shoppers confuse quiet luxury with basic. That is where the mistakes start. Fabric choice matters, seams matter, and the way a sleeve moves at 3 p.m. matters just as much as a runway photo.
- Intrecciato, everywhere : woven leather scaled up into totes, softened for crossbody bags, and echoed in knits without turning into a gimmick.
- Trompe-l’œil with purpose : leather “denim” and flannel-look shirts prove craft, not novelty. The trick supports durability and feel.
- Color that breathes : mineral greens, deep browns, off-blacks – tones that look rich in daylight and age well across years.
- Movement as luxury : trousers cut to stride, skirts that flicker, coats that hold a clean line without stiffness.
Concrete examples traveled fast in fashion media. The Kalimero bucket debuted with Fall 2022 and became a street fixture by 2023, while the Andiamo – introduced in early 2023 – crystalized the brand’s travel-ready attitude with a soft, knotted handle. Vogue Runway chronicled how those pieces anchor looks rather than overwhelm them. Business of Fashion highlighted how the house doubled down on Italian ateliers, keeping production close to its Vicenza home base to protect know-how.
Dates matter here. Blazy’s appointment was announced in November 2021 by Kering and Bottega Veneta. His first runway in February 2022 reset the brand trajectory at Milan Fashion Week. Collections that followed charted a trilogy of craft, motion and intimacy across 2022 and 2023 – not a one-season stunt, but a system.
Why it works now : clarity, pace, and a customer-first loop
Let’s unpack the logic. Blazy treats craft as a design tool, not a museum piece. When a leather shirt looks like washed cotton, it avoids costume and folds into a wardrobe. When a tote carries the intrecciato at a human scale, it signals the house without a single logo. The result is recognizability by cut and texture, not a stamp.
There is also a deliberate pace. Four collections spread across two years built continuity – recurring bag families, refined soles, evolving tailoring – so customers can add on without replacing. That reduces waste and builds trust. Retail teams can tell a clear story because pieces from February 2022 still converse with drops from 2024.
What was missing before felt obvious : a shared language across leather goods and ready-to-wear. Blazy supplied it by anchoring everything to the hand – stitches, weave, drape. For anyone wondering how to buy into this era, the answer sits in the essentials that hold up outside the runway glare : an Andiamo carried for years, a coat cut for daily weather, knitwear with the right weight. Real quiet luxury isn’t silence. It is craftmanship you can feel, season after season.