Bottega Veneta to present joint men’s and women’s shows

Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta has become the latest label to permanently combine its men’s and women’s runway shows.

The brand’s Nov. 28 announcement follows its joint menswear and women’s wear spring/summer 2017 show held in September as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. Fashion’s accelerating gender neutral trend has led a number of designer brands to throw out runway show norms in favor of integrated catwalks.

Coming together
Beginning in 2017, Bottega Veneta’s current runway schedule will be replaced with two shows. These will be held during the women’s fashion weeks in Milan.

Bottega Veneta refers to this move as a “natural evolution” after its anniversary affair at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. Aside from celebrating half a century of the house, this event also marked 15 years with creative director Tomas Maier at the head of the brand.

“The Bottega Veneta universe is built on both genders,” says the statement. “As a consequence, showing both women and men together is an organic move that follows the evolution of Tomas Maier’s creative vision.”

Unlike labels that have thrown out the traditional calendar in favor of a see-now, buy-now approach, Bottega Veneta’s timeline remains, with fall/winter shown in February and spring/summer presented in September.

Bottega Veneta cruise 2017 collection

“The house remains in any case committed to a presentation timing and production launch that allows the period necessary to create a sophisticated handcrafted collection that conveys a dream even before it hits the boutiques,” the statement reads.

This follows similar announcements from other luxury labels this year, reflecting a growing trend.

Gucci will begin showing its men’s and women’s wear together in a single show per season starting in 2017 (see story). Similarly, Burberry disrupted the fashion calendar with the decision to whittle down its four yearly presentations down to two combined men's and women's shows (see story).