Bottega Veneta: Art of Collaboration

“get lost in the beauty of it.”

There are few books that can be so literally described as a coffee table book. Bottega Veneta lives up to its classification in every way possible given its monumental size and a thickness that can only be likened to the yellow pages. All this book needs are legs, and you are ready to roll. It should be noted here that due to its unusual physicality it becomes a bit unwieldy when it comes to reading especially if you are a “lap reader.”

The book is a compilation of every advertising campaign that Tomas Maier has conceived during his 13-year tenure at Bottega Veneta. His text is invaluable when viewing this huge body of work that has been produced while reinvigorating this heritage prestige brand. His “brainchildren” have elevated the brand to the stature that it enjoyed decades ago “when you own initials are enough.” The breadth of the photographers used to lens these campaigns is incomparable among the genre.

Each advertising segment is accompanied by a tight but descriptive text dealing with inspirations and explanations for each specific set of photos. If there is a downside to this, it would be that the photos are matte finished rather than the glossy versions we have grown accustomed to seeing in every magazine. Nonetheless, the book is exhaustive and as comprehensive as it could possibly be as it reflects the philosophy and inspiration for both brand and designer.

Besides its size, the other most detracting facet of the volume is the overly pedantic, often times tedious and pretentious foreword by the overly verbose Tim Blanks who could bore the paint off a wall. The book would have enjoyed a greater appeal had it not started with Mr. Blanks’ endlessly wordy ramblings which are later and better explained by Mr. Maier with each set of campaign photos.  

In the end, this is a book that exceeds expectations on so many levels even though the reader should skip over the foreword and move onto what really matters. If you want to give an impressive gift or really understand the underlying aesthetics of this haute brand then treat yourself to this epic tome and get lost in the beauty of it.