Louis Trotter had a lot weighing on her shoulders.

The new creative director of Bottega Veneta had to follow the work of her predecessor Matthieu Blazy who, during his three-year tenure, managed to make the Italian fashion house cool and desirable again (cue the Andiamo bag). Trotter is also only the second female creative director of the House—the first being Laura Braggion who held the position from 1985 to 2001—and currently the only female creative director of parent company Kering's roster of fashion houses. Not that her gender has anything to do with her capabilities as a creative head (her work at Lacoste was stellar) but she unfortunately has the cards stacked against her in a male-dominated industry. And her debut collection marks the beginning of Bottega Veneta's 60th anniversary—that's a lot of pressure.

Yet, she prevailed.

Taking inspiration from Braggion's tenure, the Bottega Veneta Summer 2026 collection was a culmination of Trotter's journey to the very beginnings of the House. Craft became a foundation with a softness parlayed into the collection's bags and accessories, as well as the beautifully manipulated ready-to-wear.

"I like that the ‘Bottega’ is a workshop—one with a long and multifaceted history in Italy. It involves the collective effort of craft; with craftsmanship, the people who make it, and the people who wear it matter. It’s where the hand and the heart become one," Trotter says in the collection notes.

The fit: Shoulders were strong throughout the collection. Yet, at the same time, the ready-to-wear pieces were crafted with such soft, suppleness to them. Rigidity met fluidity as silhouettes were crafted to be structure but incredibly malleable at the same time. Bottega Veneta's leather craftsmanship was in full display in the leather ready-to-wear pieces—from deliciously oversized trench coats to an Intrecciato T-shirt—as well as in the is-that-leather-or-is-that-not creations.

Menswear tailoring was a key foundational element and apparent in the way that the collection was crafted. That also meant that most of the collection felt and looked rather gender-neutral. Aside from the dresses and skirts (but hey, don't let us stop you), the womenswear pieces could easily work on men—even the show-stopping recycled fibreglass tops.

The details: The Intrecciato is undoubtedly an icon of the House; it's an instantly identifiable signifier without the use of an actual logo. While the Intrecciato has seen a myriad of interpretations over the years, Trotter decided to bring it back to its original form by reviving the 9mm/12mm scale. She then used this to design contemporary bags with a sense of soft functionality that pervaded the entire collection. New bag styles included an elongated Framed Tote that resembled a massive clutch, and an elaborately fringed top-handle bag that represented the House's craft excellence.

Trotter included a lot of the House's signatures as details. Oversized knots became button-like appliqués, Intrecciato accents adorned outerwear and shirts, and cufflink knots were added to shirt cuffs.

Three exceptional looks: Look 9's sculpted coat with a gold mockneck accent; the crisp black tunic with textured collar and styled in a rather sporty way as per look 22; and look 43's multi-layered styling with an Intrecciato newspaper.

The takeaway: Taking it back to the roots of a fashion house has never looked this immaculate.

View the full Bottega Veneta Summer 2026 collection in the gallery below.