ZOOMING IN ON THE BEST BITS FROM BOTTEGA VENETA PRE-FALL 2023

Bottega Veneta's Pre-Fall 2023 collection is here, proving once again that the Italian label is the lord of leather.

Creative Director Matthieu Blazy continues to experiment with Intrecciato, using the leather-weaving technique — a Bottega Veneta signature — to construct jeans, button-downs, and extra-tall, thigh-high boots.

As expected, Intrecciato also extends to accessories. Bags big and small, from new takes on the Sardine purse to compact clutches, are fashioned using the weaving method.  There are also accessories that fall outside of the Intrecciato universe: namely, Blazy's $1,900 brown "paper" bag (actually made of smooth leather) and shiny, padded purses (even Bottega isn't immune to puff-ification).

Footwear is just as varied. Point-toed loafers pair fantastically with drape-y trousers, while cropped coats allow metallic waders to shine. Blazy also introduces several novel pairs of sandals, the first a woven mule reminiscent of Bottega's FW23 socks, knitted out of thin strands of leather.

Next up is an slip-on made of what appears to be puffy, leather "rope," loosely knotted for maximum air-to-foot contact (these aren't shoes you want to wear on a rainy day). Lastly, Bottega Veneta introduces an unexpected new material — rubber — into its footwear lineup with a pair of jelly-like sandals that resemble a distant cousin of Merrell's Hydro Moc.