Life takes its time to grow. Left to its own devices, nature is slow: lilacs need three years to become even a small shrub, wisteria may appear within seasons yet can take ten or fifteen years to flower. At Bottega Veneta, it took two. Louise Trotter’s debut last September was a considerate start, an appropriate proposition for a house in limbo between two creative visions. For Fall/Winter 2026, she blossoms.
In her sophomore season, the British designer is more assured, offering her idiosyncratic vision confidently. The collection feels organic, like something growing in real time. It did not begin in full bloom. Instead, it evolved from relatively neutral tailoring before expanding. The show opened with smart suits. Not a stuffy, book-smart, but more of a charismatic, gallery-going intelligent. Even at their most sombre – set against the explosion that would follow – the tailoring resisted rigidity. Shoulders were rounded, lines curved, fabric pooling rather than cutting a strict line. Structure softened into movement.
Growth was literal, too. Last season’s show-stopping skirt, made of fibreglass fringe, expanded. What once framed a skirt now envelops the body, spreading upward and outward. That same kind of material experimentation was seen in short coats that rippled short brown fur into an organic texture. With a brand whose image relies on a texture, Trotter expands its philosophy beyond the classic Intrecciato. Pleats were used cleverly in long dresses that totalized the body, moving it in odd ways as models walked.
Trotter asserts power through silhouette. Oversized shapes filled the runway, but never felt clunky. Soft draping and unique volumes added interest to classic looks. A grey skirt folded in itself, a strong-shouldered top in butter yellow has two huge folds in the front, making the garment seem as if it were liquid before it solidified.
Menswear proved particularly strong. Trotter’s eye for texture can't be overstated, especially within the codes of the house. The Intrecciato is rendered more dimensional through tactile, furry surfaces. In a grey coat, the weaving of the material becomes even more 3D. Overall, a very strong showing for the British designer, proof that, sometimes, growth need not take years to flower.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
