Meet Louise Trotter, Who Joins Bottega Veneta As The Brand’s First Female Creative Director
Here are five things you should know about the incoming designer.
By Aaron Kok - published
What a field day it has been for fashion, as Bottega Veneta has chosen Louise Trotter to lead the House’s next chapter and to succeed the outgoing Matthieu Blazy.
In a joint press statement sent out this morning by Bottega Veneta and its parent company Kering, Leo Rongone, CEO of Bottega Veneta, highlighted how Trotter’s “aesthetic seamlessly combines exquisite design with sublime craft and her commitment to cultural advocacy aligns beautifully with our brand vision”.
Related article: A Joyful Return To Personal Dressing Was Central At Milan Fashion Week
“Through her sophisticated lens, Bottega Veneta will continue to celebrate its heritage while preserving modern relevance,” he adds.
The British-born Trotter is expected to join the Italian brand at the end of January 2025, but who exactly is she, and how will her arrival at the brand shape the clothes that Bottega Veneta’s customers will be buying in time to come? We’ve compiled the need-to-knows about Trotter, and what can be expected from her tenure.
Her Last Post Was at Carven
Prior to her appointment at Bottega Veneta, Trotter spent three seasons at the French brand Carven, where critics lauded her ability to rejuvenate the label and present it as a modern and exciting offering for younger shoppers.
Her swansong collection for the brand was the spring/summer 2025 collection shown at the end of September, and in it, Trotter explored the relationship that women held with their clothing by presenting a fresh take on minimalist silhouettes. If this is anything to go by, Bottega Veneta’s customer will appreciate that Trotter is able to provide shoppers with a closet full of nuanced details, luxurious fabrics and surprising accessories.
Related article: History And House Codes Get Revitalised At Paris Fashion Week
Bottega Veneta’s First Female Designer
Significantly, Trotter is the brand’s first female designer since its founding in 1966.
Trotter’s hiring breaks a line of male designers that include Matthieu Blazy, Daniel Lee and Tomas Maier, and more importantly, she remains as the sole female creative director leading a brand under Kering’s fashion arm.
Related article: The Modern Elegance of Saint Laurent
Clothing For Everyday Wear
One of Trotter’s biggest strengths is that she understands her designs cannot exist in a bubble; rather, they are worn for school runs, work meetings, and birthday parties.
Trotter’s resume includes time spent at Joseph and Lacoste, both brands that are synonymous with the idea of easy-to-wear clothing that doesn’t compromise on fashion.
Three years after joining Lacoste, in an interview with Highsnobiety, Trotter pointed out that it was this commitment to creating clothing that’s both wearable and stylish that attracted her to the mantle of the French sportswear brand, sharing “what attracted me to Lacoste, which is quite similar to Joseph, is that it’s creating clothes that people wear every day”.
Related article: Style Files: An Seoyoung On Finding Comfort In Fashion
Elevated Minimalism is Her Forte
One of the things that onlookers will be watching out for is how the new designer at Bottega Veneta will assimilate into the brand’s codes. After all, the “Bottega look” is something that’s been consistently honed and refined year after year and season after season. It’s a look that’s loved for its daring use of tactile materials, attention to craftsmanship and a range of silhouettes that prioritise ease and motion for the wearer.
Yet in the last few years, Trotter has shown that she’s more than capable of meeting the aesthetic whims of Bottega Veneta’s customer. Her fall/winter 2024 collection for Carven zeroed in on a play of proportions, contrasting rugby-like moulded shoulders with nipped-in waists, fanned out pleats and sensual draping. For spring/summer 2025, Trotter suggested a wardrobe of trapeze-shaped tops that dipped in the back, robe-like coats and satin-covered bedroom slippers.
There’s a fine balance between design and function that Trotter so deftly toes, and it makes her new era at Bottega Veneta all the more exciting to watch.