After witnessing the wholesome beauty of Louise Trotter’s sophomore collection for Bottega Veneta, one can’t help but wonder: why bother wasting time, life, and attention on something as depressing as Demna’s latest Gucci outing?

Trotter delivered a collection so robust, textured, rich, and untamed in its tactility that you couldn’t help but smile during the closing passage: fluffy furs spun from silk threads rippled like curly shearling; real shearling was brushed to resemble fox; shaggy fiberglass and velvet were carved to mimic astrakhan.

For Louise, Bottega Veneta is a playground – one where she roams freely through the possibilities of materials, embracing materiality in the most unexpected ways. Yet she also proves she knows a thing or two about Milanese sartoriality: her delightfully oversized peacoats and meaty jackets with rounded shoulders did not disappoint.

I entered starving for beauty; I left fed.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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