Ethical Fur and Fiber-Optic Fuzz: Inside Bottega Veneta FW26

Lauren Hutton.

We showed up so early to Louise Trotter’s second Bottega Veneta show that the doors aren’t even open yet. Can you believe it? We mingled out front with social girlies from our fabulous European counterparts until they let us inside. The independents! Trotting across the cobblestone, we entered into the Bottega headquarters. For this sophomore show, they’ve decked it out in vibrant red carpeting and lacquered red columns. We loitered around waiting for some famous faces until the American icon Lauren Hutton arrived in her signature bucket hat. “I’ve been on that cover before,” she said, clocking the hot-off-the-presses issue of Interview Magazine I was holding. Lauren Hutton recreating her 1973 cover with Rob and Zendaya!!! Heaven. Lux Pascal, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Eiza Gonzales served up brunette ambition. I.N from Stray Kids created such a frenzy, they made us all take our seats to start the show.

I found my seat next to the genius Kimbino. Finally, just as the crowd seemed to settle, THE Lauryn Hill in THAT insane red fiber optic coat. (We had it on our Winter cover.) Woah! The furry and fuzzy continued on the runway. The show, which opened with some subdued black tailoring and skull caps, soon pivoted completely into the viral textures of last season. Muppet glamour baby. My favorite kind. There were furry coats and furry hats and furry dresses and furry bags! All made of what seemed to be silk threads or other fabric manipulations. No animals harmed! The show ended with a quintet of fuzzy looks done full H2T (that’s ANTM-speak for head to toe) for evening. Giant, fiber optic fuzzy dresses done in oily black, retina-searing red and an insane cobalt blue. High drama. What a fabulous finale to our Milan journey this season. Now, time for pasta. Basta! See you in Paris!

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Lauryn Hill.

Julianne Moore.

Lux Pascal.

Lauryn Hill.