Bottega Veneta – Italian Women’s Fashion Spring Summer 2007

Italian women’s fashion is not just for the young, long legged beauties so often seen on the runways and magazine covers. It is also very local, representing local tendencies and culture. The idea of Italian fashion is to accentuate the beauty of every individual at every age. Think of Sofia Loren or Gina Lollobrigida, beautiful women with great appeal even though their age is well over the 70 mark. A woman can be beautiful at 70 or 70 pounds overweight. It is all about how she presents herself and what she wears is an important part of this. Bottega Veneta is based in the North Eastern part of Italy. It is a hard land and the women are both strong and feminine. It is also provincial; a place where everything has meaning and is in someway useful.

I have always thought of the Bottega Veneta designs as something for the 30+ woman. The woman from Veneto is wife, mother and professional. She cannot be worried about the skirt inching too high or the silk sash ending up in the door of the car. Clothes must be both functional and beautiful. Yes, to the Milanese they are a bit provincial, lacking the elegance of a Valentino, but they are versatile. In fact, in the shops of Corso Buenos Aires and Corso Vercelli are highlighting Bottega Veneta. Window presentations are featuring at least one and sometimes several of the Bottega Veneta designs. These designs are not Valentino, but every woman deserves an outfit that can frame her beauty.

The first set I have chosen are elegant with natural tones. I think the shoes must go, but outfits are great. They offer clean lines, soft silk fabrics with stiff summer linens in the skirts. They are perfect for most occasions, from the office to the PTA meeting. They can easily be worn both in Milan and Atlanta without seeming out of the ordinary. At the same time the woman wearing these designs will be noticed for all she is.

We then embark on the designs I consider freer, casual while elegant. Perfect for the 30 and up woman who needs the freedom of movement while wanting to a sense of elegance.

Finally the ones I would hope Raffaella would never wear. These are too casual for my taste. Somehow they remind me of the Sunday outfits worn by someone who usually sports only jeans.

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