For her first outing at Bottega Veneta, Louise Trotter placed equal weight on menswear, grounding the Summer 2026 collection in the language of tailoring and the philosophy of soft functionality. The debut coincides with the house’s 60th anniversary, and the menswear looks captured both history and forward momentum.
SPRING SUMMER 2026
The collection leaned into the rigor of Italian workshops, where men’s tailoring traditions shaped the entire offering. Summer-weight wools were cut into suits with fluid ease, delivering precision without rigidity. Lightweight coats in supple Nappa leather redefined outerwear, while shirting and separates carried the discipline of suiting yet maintained the relaxed line Trotter brought to the season.
Internal structure became a key narrative. Jackets and trousers revealed the craft of construction through subtle detail rather than overt design tricks. Evening-ready tailoring was softened with cotton linings, offering the impression of effortlessness while preserving sharp silhouettes. This interplay between visible ease and hidden rigor defined much of the men’s wardrobe.
Accessories continued the dialogue between heritage and reinvention. The Cabat appeared in reworked forms, its triangular underpinnings informing the squared shoulders of jackets. Bags like the elongated Framed Tote and the Crafty Basket underlined how Bottega’s signature artisanal craft could evolve without abandoning its origins. Worn by men, these accessories affirmed the house’s gender-fluid approach to design.
The mood was completed with a soundtrack by artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen, who reconfigured Nina Simone and David Bowie’s Wild Is the Wind into a duet. The interwoven voices echoed the metaphor of Intrecciato, the house’s language of weaving, which informed both accessories and tailoring.
The menswear in Bottega Veneta Summer 2026 underscores Trotter’s vision: pragmatic, precise, and attuned to the workshop roots of the house. It situates men’s clothing within the same artisanal rigor as womenswear, ensuring craft, detail, and purpose define the season.
