Louise Trotter’s triumphant Bottega Veneta debut strikes a chord in Asia

Louise Trotter’s long-awaited debut for Bottega Veneta in Milan was a triumph — refined, resonant, and unmistakably confident. One of only two female creative directors among this season’s 16 designer debuts, Trotter steps into a house that has been on an upward trajectory since Daniel Lee reinvented its modern language of “new luxury,” and Matthieu Blazy deepened it through craft and architectural form. Before the first look appeared, guests were already captivated by the setting. Lining the minimalist space were hand-blown Murano glass stools — cuboid, jewel-like blocks in ten shades of green, blue, amber, and red — while overhead hung a woven sculpture by Korean artist Kwangho Lee, its interlaced cords echoing Bottega Veneta’s signature Intrecciato. The British designer, headhunted by the French behemoth Kering after her minimalist turns at Joseph and Lacoste, staged a show that bridged Venetian heritage and Milanese rigor, underscored by the hum of global anticipation. Trotter’s debut stood out for its thoughtful evolution of the house codes and clear commercial appeal — especially in China, where consumers widely praised Bottega Veneta’s new direction. Even before the runway began, the brand was trending. The unboxing of the Spring 2026 invitation — a stitch-free leather mini bag that doubled as the show invite — drew viral attention across Weibo and Xiaohongshu. Online, netizens praised the house’s renewed direction, celebrating its balance of artisanal detail and modern innovation. The Murano glass seating, honoring Bottega Veneta’s Venetian roots, earned particular admiration for translating heritage into design. A star-studded front row fueled social media buzz in China The front row buzzed with an international lineup: Julianne Moore, Uma Thurman, Jeremy O. Harris, and Owen Cooper brought Hollywood gravitas. Meanwhile, Michelle Yeoh, BTS’ RM, Stray Kids’ I.N, Thai actor Dew, Chinese actress Zhu Zhu, diving legend Guo Jingjing, and actors Yang Youning and Terrance Liu amplified the show’s Asia-Pacific draw. As Milan’s cameras flashed, Chinese social media lit up. The Weibo livestream reached 29.8 million viewers, while the hashtag #BV2026SummerShow soared to 130 million views (as of writing), ranking among the top fashion-week hashtags of the season. “Quiet luxury can be expressive” is the sentiment that rippled across Xiaohongshu (also RedNote) and Weibo, where KOLs and fashion critics like @Pekaboom and @FashionModels praised Trotter’s restraint and poetic modernity. A journey through craft The collection traced Bottega Veneta’s evolution from its 1966 origins through its 1980s adolescence — Laura Braggion, one of the house’s original founders and creative leads, was part of this collection's inspiration. At the heart of the collection is the “soft functionality” of the original Intrecciato weave, developed by cofounder Renzo Zengiaro and reimagined across every piece. Supple and adaptable, the classic 9mm and 12mm scale returned, reconfigured for today while preserving Bottega Veneta’s effortless practicality. “I like that the ‘Bottega’ is a workshop – one with a long and multifaceted history in Italy. It involves the collective effort of craft; with craftsmanship, the people who make it, and the people who wear it matter. It’s where the hand and the heart become one,” says Louise Trotter. This philosophy pulsed through the collection. A regal handwoven cape, requiring 4,000 hours of labor, embodied the house’s artisanal core. Dresses crafted from iridescent fiberglass filaments shimmered with a surreal luminescence — echoing Venice’s glassmaking heritage in Murano. Alongside the ready-to-wear, the bags charted an evolution of Bottega Veneta’s icons. Louise Trotter revisited house staples — the Lauren clutch, the Knot, and the Cabat — refining their proportions and materials with a softer, more fluid sensibility. Alongside these came new additions including the Gioco, the elongated Barbara Tote, and the Crafty Basket, each exploring fresh ways to express the house’s signature Intrecciato weave. “The language of Bottega Veneta is Intrecciato,” she says. “It’s two different strips woven together that become stronger.” That interweaving of craft and innovation, masculine and feminine, defined the show’s rhythm. Sound and emotion: An aural Intrecciato For her debut show, Trotter enlisted Oscar-winning artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen to create a soundscape titled “66-67” — a sonic artwork that intertwined Nina Simone’s 1966 recording of Wild is the Wind with David Bowie’s 1976 rendition. The result was a haunting duet — an “aural Intrecciato” that mirrored the show’s woven textures. ”When I decided to put those two voices together, they were so complementary,” McQueen says. “It was as if they wanted to be together and they needed to be together. For me, it actually heightened the romantic element of this yearning in the song.” The music swelled through the cavernous show space, building tension before each model emerged: a “contemporary opera” McQueen called it. The effect was cinematic yet deeply personal, lending emotional depth to Trotter’s precise silhouettes. Eastward resonance: APAC leads the conversation Bottega Veneta’s Spring 2026 show resonated globally. The Italian label captured 18.03% of Milan Fashion Week’s social share, ranking second overall, according to data company Onclusive Social (social listening from September 22-28, 2025). For Kering, the debut offered reassurance, as the maison remains a steady growth pillar amid Gucci’s transition. In H1 2025, Bottega Veneta reported revenue of 846 million euros ($920 million), a 1% year-on-year increase. While the commercial performance of Trotter’s collection will only become clear once it reaches boutiques in early 2026, the initial response has been promising. APAC’s response was particularly enthusiastic. The house’s decision to feature over 10 Chinese models and East Asian front row underlined its commitment to the region. On Xiaohongshu, Chinese actress Zhu Zhu’s all-black look and BTS member RM’s minimalist oversized tailoring became viral posts, generating thousands of reposts and discussion. Chinese tastemakers, such as Declan Chan and Fil Xiaobai, quickly spotlighted the filament skirt, the fiberglass coat, and the Bottega newspaper, from the collection. Chinese luxury consumers, who prize tactile craftsmanship and collectible novelty, saw Trotter’s show as a blend of craft revival and digital-era storytelling — a balance few European brands achieve naturally. A confident hand at the helm Amid what critics are calling the biggest fashion month ever, designers faced a daunting challenge: restoring confidence in their houses at a time when the industry is running wild with uncertainty. Trotter’s debut was a meditation on continuity — of craft, emotion, and connection. It elevated the house codes with a sense of newness while preserving the stability and focus that have anchored Bottega Veneta amid industry turbulence in recent years. Trotter’s collection honored the past without being trapped by it, and proved capable of maintaining the brand’s commercial success. The brand’s decision to spotlight East Asian talent and collaborate with McQueen signaled a dual strategy: emotional storytelling for Western audiences, cultural inclusivity for Asian markets. The results speak for themselves: $27 million earned media value as per social media listening tool Lefty and Karla Otto’s findings. In China, the show hashtag racked up 130 million views and attracted nearly 30 million viewers to the catwalk livestream. As Bottega Veneta marks its 60th anniversary in 2026, the brand is entering a new era. One where “quiet luxury” is not muted but deeply resonant. Trotter has proven she can conduct that orchestra, weaving tradition and emotion into a singular, confident vision.

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Louise Trotter’s triumphant Bottega Veneta debut strikes a chord in Asia