Florals for spring may not be groundbreaking, but tulips in handcrafted leather certainly are. At Bottega Veneta’s spring summer 2027 show, one rested on each attendee’s seat. Artist Illya Goldman Gubin’s resin-coated cardboard stools held the dents of previous embraces. Where bodies had shaped each box before it invited another to sit, offering a rather early clue to what would follow around movement and space.

Taking the familiar somewhere unexpected is becoming something of a signature for creative director Louise Trotter. This season, she took her inspiration from Milan’s changing seasons from spring to summer – the moment when layers fall away less and less, and getting dressed becomes a lighter task. Her clothes gave the body more room to breathe, while tailoring relaxed without giving up precision. Leather, in particular took on a light quality, revealing the house’s expertise in the craft.

That airiness extended to the collection’s masculine and feminine codes, as Trotter moved freely between the two. Gubin’s stools alluded to the embrace that Trotter explored in her designs – the same sense of connection carried by the house’s signature intrecciato weave. Weaving became both a technique and a way of thinking, bringing together materials, gestures and people. The collection allowed for a closer look, encouraging the wearer to discover its subtle details and make each piece their own.

Fluid silk gave balloon trousers their volume, while uneven knotted coats and outerwear displayed the layers beneath. Fringed scarf belts brought depth to relaxed tailoring, and patchwork and chunky crochet added texture. Fringing, a recurring motif in Trotter’s recent collections at the House allowed for generous movement around the body. For all the thinking behind this collection, the meaning felt refreshingly physical and literal with clothes that gave the body space, materials that invited touch. Summer dressing with a little less weight and plenty left to discover.