MILAN
Before the first model had walked, the guests at Bottega Veneta on Saturday already had a clue about what was coming. On each of the rough white cubes that served as seats sat a single parrot tulip, its frilled petals made entirely from leather. It was a small, handmade object, slightly imperfect, and made with a lot of skill. That turned out to describe the whole Spring/Summer 2027 collection.
This was Louise Trotter's third collection since taking over the Kering-owned house, and reviewers agreed that it was the one where she relaxed. After two seasons of showing how far Bottega's workshops could push material technology, she made clothes that feel light enough for an actual summer.
A house used to change
Bottega Veneta has had four creative directors in roughly a decade. Tomas Maier built its quiet-luxury reputation; Daniel Lee gave it blockbuster bags and a signature green; Matthieu Blazy turned leather into things that looked like denim, flannel and paper. Each of them, as W Magazine put it this weekend, has worked from the same language, and that language starts with intrecciato, the woven leather technique the house was founded on in 1966.
Trotter arrived with a very different CV from the men before her. The British designer made her name on practical, beautifully cut clothes for real women, first at Joseph, then as creative director of Lacoste and briefly at Carven, before Kering appointed her as Bottega's first female creative director. Her debut came in September 2025. From the start, critics wondered whether a designer known for sensible elegance could keep up with Blazy's showmanship. Three collections in, her answer is becoming clear: she does not want to compete with him on spectacle. She wants women to wear the clothes.
Trotter's own signature has been movement. Her debut last spring was full of bouncing, colourful fringe made from recycled fiberglass. Her fall 2026 show introduced new materials that mimicked fur. The silhouette she is building is longer and more covered-up than her predecessors', with its appeal coming from how clothes move rather than how much skin they show.
Weaving, but lighter
For spring, intrecciato was again the starting point, but used both literally and loosely. A longline coat was knotted at one side to reveal a light cotton dress beneath. A simple T-shirt was built in a basket-weave construction. The fringe came back in many forms: falling from the shoulders of blouses, swinging from shoulder bags, running down a wrap-waist trench coat from collar to hem.
Elsewhere, the movement came from cutting. A skirt with a high side slit ballooned with each step. Loose, silky trousers balanced the structure of long, sharp blazers. There were gathered summer dresses, draped blouses and cocoon skirts with tucked hems, all in lighter, crisper fabrics and a bit more colour than before.
The craft was deliberately homespun. Airy lace, crochet and embroidery drew on the knitting and stitching traditions of the Veneto, the region around Venice where Bottega was founded. Trotter also continued her love of hats: this season's looked almost like folded paper party hats, but were made in fine crochet.
In the designer's words
Backstage, Trotter explained the mood to WWD. "There is this sense of being a little bit undone," she said, describing "a language between things being quite polished and a language with things being more organic."
You could see that idea in the styling. A crisp shirt was left open over a bra or camisole but tucked neatly into a fitted skirt or high-waisted trousers. Each piece on its own was precise and practical. Together, they looked relaxed, the way people actually get dressed on a hot day.
The accessories to watch
Bottega's business runs on accessories, so the shoes and bags matter. Most shoes stayed close to the ground: leather slip-ons and fringed sandals that tie around the ankle. The bags were mostly large but flat and narrow, designed, as one reviewer put it, for carrying only what you need and leaving the rest at home. Expect those shapes, and the fringed shoulder bags, to be the pieces that reach stores first and sell fastest.
The star power
The front row was one of the starriest of the week, with longtime Bottega fans Julianne Moore, Tyler, the Creator and Jacob Elordi watching. Kendall Jenner closed the show, a moment that made its way quickly across social media.
What this means for your wardrobe
You do not need a Bottega budget to borrow these ideas. The big messages are easy to try: fringe as a way to add movement, crochet and lace in natural colours, longer and looser shapes instead of tight ones, and the half-tucked, slightly unbuttoned styling that makes a smart outfit look relaxed. Flat sandals and slim, roomy bags will make the look practical.
It also fits a wider shift this season in Milan. After years of either loud logos or very quiet, beige luxury, many designers are looking for clothes that feel personal and made by hand. Bottega, a house built on craft, is well placed to lead that.
The final word
Trotter's first two collections asked people to admire what Bottega's workshops could do. Her third asked them to imagine wearing it. With a leather tulip on every seat and a collection that felt as light as a summer afternoon, she seems to have found her Bottega, and it looks like one many people will want to wear.
