Bottega Veneta Spring 2010 RTW

"Architectual," "organic," "sculptural," "the most beautiful collection shown yet this season," these are all words used to describe Bottega Veneta's Spring 2010 easy, lively collection. Tomas Maier for Bottega Veneta decided upon a collection of sheer individualistic playfulness completely conscious of the female body as the core inspiration for Spring 2010. "I think of it as a collaboration with women," he said. "The clothes are meant to be a backdrop, a blank canvas, so the wearer can play with color and accessories to change the look and make it her own." The concept of the neutral background came when he saw a group of children being dropped off at a karate class in Florida, where he lives: "I liked the look of the canvas, and that became my color card—white, cream, straw. And the idea of the soft belt."

White cotton, edged in cream, made up milkmaid dresses with slashed or funnel necklines and wraparound blouses. Panelled white bra tops came under roomy jersey vests and white silk all-in-ones were accessorised with a purple or yellow scarf thrown around the neck and totes and espadrilles made of what looked like woven raffia but were in fact nappa leather.

High wedge sandals with woven espadrille soles, delicate string macramé slingbacks, statement jewelry, and an amazing translation of the house leather intrecciato bag into something resembling a soft straw basket. The collection epitomzed the season's feeling for sport, pale color, and the textured aesthetics of humble materials with a flair for sophistication. Neural colors were the staple of the clothing, and the few colors that were showcased included that fashion forward mustardy yellow, deep red and vibrant purple that we've seen throughout the fall and spring shows next couple of seasons. Three fabulous evening dresses in boldly colored iridescent material (polyester ... shhhhh) finished the show for a drool-worthy experience in the city of Milan.

Hair for the show was created by Guido Palau and makeup with those fantastic purple lips and ultra-feminine allure was the creative genius of makeup artist Pat McGrath. Love that beauty look. Soft, feminine face with richly colored lips, a true compliment to the nature of the Bottega Veneta collection itself.

images: style, elle