Bottega Veneta Weaves Its Summer Footwear

MILAN, Italy — For next summer Tomas Maier, the acclaimed creative director of luxury goods brand Bottega Veneta, is inviting customers to walk in his shoes.

In his latest menswear collection presented Sunday, the second day of Milan Fashion Week, Maier used the traditional Bottega leather weave for loafers, lace-ups and even sidewalk slippers. Usually, it's reserved for women's handbags.

The luxurious artisan footwear, which one runway male model defined as "awesome," came in brown or black and accompanied all of the outfits in the classic collection.

According to his fashion notes, "contrast" was the theme of Maier's 2014 preview collection.

The show opened with a series of suits with a soft shouldered, wide sleeved jacket and narrow pants. Contrast came in the white lines stitched into the classic look referencing the chalk marks used for fittings in bespoke tailoring, creating imaginary lapels and pockets.

Further into the show, the German designer who has been behind the label for the past 12 years, contrasted black and white in a checkerboard fashion game. For example, a black knit sweater is worn with checked trousers, or a checked sports jacket is matched with a pair of white trousers.

In an unconventional move, Maier paired black with brown, even in footwear, making the combination fashionably correct.

Although most of the collection is in the staple muted hues, which define the discreet Bottega Veneta look, Maier dabbles into, aubergine, brick red, and olive green to liven up his summer look.

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