Louise Trotter

Humanity. Bottega Veneta SS27

| Design & Culture by Ed

After the overall feeling of robotic coldness and algorithmic calculation that ruled this Milan Fashion Week, Louise Trotter’s emphasis on tactility at Bottega Veneta is hard not to fall for. It’s a reminder that we’re still human after all. The clashes of textures, techniques and colours are zesty and intelligent; this is a wardrobe – and a set of ideas for dressing – for people who, at the end of the day, love culture.

The only thing I wish Trotter would reconsider is the voluminous silhouette she feels so comfortable with. Sometimes the baggy dresses and tailoring come across as unresolved. Not that they’re slouchy – but it would be refreshing to see the designer shed some of the layers and come closer to the body.

ED’s DISPATCH:


Bottega Veneta Foulard Intrecciato Leather Belt



Bottega Veneta Nodo Small Intrecciato Suede-trimmed Leather Pouch



Bottega Veneta Gondola Studded Intrecciato Leather Clogs



Bottega Veneta Embellished Wool-blend Blazer



Bottega Veneta Striped Wool-blend Pants

Wholesome Beauty. Bottega Veneta AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

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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A Lot. Bottega Veneta SS26

| Design & Culture by Ed

Louise Trotter took her time to deeply absorb the Bottega Veneta‘s 60 years of codes and craftsmanship – not rushing last season, but instead offering a substantial collection now. It’s a collection with many avenues for customers to explore once the clothes and accessories reach the stores, from myriad interpretations of intrecciato to an array of ultra-tactile textures. I’ll say it loud and clear: the techniques, the artistry, and the sheer beauty of each individual piece Trotter presented are beyond words. Yet this may also have been the trap she fell into – the collection felt overpacked and overstimulating. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Madame Minimalism. Carven Pre-Fall 2025

| Design & Culture by Ed

Carven‘s pre-fall 2025 collection, officially credited to the brand’s studio, is a good-looking transition moment between Louise Trotter’s work at the maison and the brand’s current creative director – and long-time collaborator of Trotter – Mark Thomas. The line-up, offering garments and accessories so wearable and easy-in-approach that it’s hard not to fall in love with their daily allure, is informed by blousy smock tops, wraparound apron shapes and a penchant for fabrics that appear structured to the eye yet soft around the body. One of the dresses with flannel on front and crushed lining in the back reminisces a 1950s couture dress with its strikingly simple, yet chic silhouette. Then you’ve got all the bubbly, t-shirt-inspired dresses and tops, minimal, timeless, versatile. The knits and cashmere shifts are pieces to be grateful for when you need to leave home looking pulled together. Carven became a go-to brand for less is more women who aren’t after The Row’s sophisticated oddness or Phoebe Philo’s contemporary strictness; the brand offers a warmer, cozier approach to minimalism. A madame minimalism.

ED’s SELECTION:

CARVEN Layered Cotton-gauze Gown


CARVEN Tie-detailed Cashmere Cardigan


CARVEN Organza Midi Skirt


CARVEN Louise Leather Clutch


CARVEN Oversized Satin-twill Jacket


CARVEN Wool-twill Mini Dress

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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The Quotidian. Carven SS25

| Design & Culture by Ed

Louise Trotter‘s Carven is easily one of the best designer-and-brand pairings in a while. The spring-summer 2025 collection, which opened with a minimal dress in shade of champagne and constructed to hover just slightly away from the body, was about sense of an intimate world taking shape in unexpected ways. While the shoes were slippers and puffy mules, there was nothing sleepy about the collection as it beautifully balanced easy nonchalance with sophisticated chic. Trotter – just like Phoebe Philo or the Olsens – understands that dressing women means understanding their relationship to their clothes; her silhouettes are considered yet never overworked. The intriguing ambiguity of a rounded trench on Marte Mei and the extended white tuxedo shirtdress topped with an ample collarless black jacket on Jessica Miller were both standouts. Wherever the Carven woman is wearing these looks (you can imagine them in different circumstances), for Trotter they represent “the quotidian, the rituals.”

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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NET-A-PORTER Limited