© Bottega Veneta / Photography: Craig Barritt

Since British-born Daniel Lee (1986) took Bottega Veneta‘s creative reigns in 2018, the staid luxury brand has made a remarkable 180, becoming the purveyor of some the planet’s most coveted products, season after season. Lee grew up in the industrial North of England, and during a visit to Detroit six years ago, he became fascinated with the technical and creative innovation of Detroit, and eventually became the third preferred location, following previous showcases in London and Berlin, to present Salon 03, the Italian house’s travelling ready-to-wear presentation. Held at the city’s Michigan Theatre, a historic downtown building dating back to 1926, Bottega Veneta‘s S/S 2022 Collection presents American sportswear and workwear silhouettes seen through a contemporary, high-performance daywear lens, infused with a strong a sense of individualism and freedom. At the same time, it’s also a celebration of industry, engineering and revolution metal yarn is elaborately used in various designs, creating new voluminous silhouettes. Additionally, there’s also a dominant theme of soft and functional which is seen through towelling fabric across the collection.

Rubbery yarn pieces on parkas and dresses, beads and paillettes on skirts and dresses and shells—all add to the surface interest. The rubber beads and paillettes are bio-based and sustainable, and the rubbery yarn is biodegradable. Shown here, are nine looks from the collection that we particularly like. The Salon 03 show music celebrates Detroit’s status as arguably the world’s most influential sonic city. Bottega Veneta has collaborated with Detroit native and eclectic musician Moodymann, known for his unique hybrid of musical genres, to bring a dynamic soundtrack to the show. Simultaneously, Bottega Veneta collaborated with local creatives to develop a hybrid pop-up store situated in an old fire station, complete with sliding pole, and aptly dubbed Bottega Firehouse. The retail space is a collaborative effort with a number of local partners, and sees a record store by Underground Music Academy, a reading room by Asmaa Walton, design works by Chris Schanck and Aratani Fay, textiles by Substudio, furnishings by Donut Shop, ceramics by Hamtramck Ceramck, relief sculptures by Sophie Eisner and a selection of printed matter curated by Ruben Cardenas (open through Jan 22).

Bottega Firehouse
1201 Bagley Street (Corktown)
Detroit, MI 48226
Tue-Sun 11am-6pm

© Bottega Veneta / Photography: Jonas Gustavsson