Bottega Veneta celebrates Tomas Maier’s 15th anniversary with a new tome

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The Knot: A Retrospective arrives at its London Old Bond Street store
Joining the travelling exhibition trend, Italian luxury leather giant Bottega Veneta's The Knot: A Retrospective arrives at its London Old Bond Street store
(Image credit: TBC)

Continuing the current trend of super brands cementing their worth with exhibitions – Chanel’s Mademoiselle Privé and Louis Vuitton’s Series 3 both landed in London in the last month – Bottega Veneta is marking 15 years of Tomas Maier’s creative direction in a double-tiered celebration.

Firstly, in London, The Knot: A Retrospective arrives in the newly refreshed 3,000 sq ft Old Bond Street store, which has been transformed into a sleek walnut and sandy suede-walled vast space over two floors. The travelling exhibition, which has so far visited Vienna and Singapore and will be heading to Bahrain in November, tracks the history of the iconic clutch with over 100 variations displayed installation-like in-store.

Amongst the styles on show are the Camoscio Roselline Knot covered in intricate mauve suede flowers from the A/W 2003-04 collection; the sterling silver Nero Knot inlaid with a giant Onyx oval stone from the A/W 2005-06 collection; and the original sterling silver box clutch from the Bottega Veneta archives which appears, in fact, without the knot closure – that key detail was added by Tomas Maier when he reworked the shape upon his appointment at the house in 2001, transforming it instantly into a house signature.

Secondly, a new book titled Art of Collaboration by Tomas Maier is published this month by Rizzoli. The substantial tome features advertising campaigns from Maier’s 15 years at Bottega Veneta’s helm, including work from 27 photographers and artists such as Philip-Lorca, Annie Leibovitz, Steven Meisel and Nan Goldin.

‘Photography is one of my passions in life, and it has been very interesting for me to use photography to broaden the impression of what Bottega Veneta means today,’ says Maier. ‘My role at Bottega Veneta includes creating the advertising campaigns, and it was important for me to do something more than the usual, because I know how emblematic these images can become. I wanted to use the campaigns to express a wider idea of creativity and craft that Bottega Veneta stands for, beyond the normal bounds of fashion.’

Having already tripped through Vienna and Singapore, before heading to Bahrain in November, the exhibition tracks the history of the iconic Knot clutch, displaying 100 variations in-store

Having already tripped through Vienna and Singapore, before heading to Bahrain in November, the exhibition tracks the history of the iconic Knot clutch, displaying 100 variations in-store

(Image credit: TBC)

Some of the styles on show include the Camoscio Roselline Knot, the Nero Knot, and the original sterling silver box clutch

Some of the styles on show include the Camoscio Roselline Knot, the Nero Knot, and the original sterling silver box clutch, that appears without the knot closure

(Image credit: TBC)

The Art of Collaboration, published by Rizzoli

Also in celebration of Tomas Maier's 15-year creative directorship, is the new book The Art of Collaboration, published by Rizzoli.

(Image credit: Charlotte Crowston and Mihaela Berbecar)

The substantial tome features advertising campaigns from Maier’s helm

The substantial tome features advertising campaigns from Maier’s helm, including work from 27 photographers and artists such as Philip-Lorca, Steven Meisel and Nan Goldin. Pictured is Annie Leibovitz's autumn/winter 2013-14 campaign. 

(Image credit: Charlotte Crowston and Mihaela Berbecar)

‘Photography is one of my passions in life, and it has been very interesting for me to use photography to broaden the impression of what Bottega Veneta means today,’ says Maier. Pictured is spring/summer 2013 by Peter Lindbergh.

‘Photography is one of my passions in life, and it has been very interesting for me to use photography to broaden the impression of what Bottega Veneta means today,’ says Maier. Pictured is spring/summer 2013 by Peter Lindbergh.

(Image credit: Charlotte Crowston and Mihaela Berbecar)

Bottega Veneta celebrates Tomas Maier’s 15th anniversary with a new tome

'It was important for me to do something more than the usual,' he adds, 'because I know how emblematic these images can become. I wanted to use the campaigns to express a wider idea of creativity and craft that Bottega Veneta stands for, beyond the normal bounds of fashion.’ Larry Sultan, sprimg/summer 2009.

(Image credit: Charlotte Crowston and Mihaela Berbecar)

Steven Meisel, autumn/winter 2009-10

Steven Meisel, autumn/winter 2009-10. 

(Image credit: Charlotte Crowston and Mihaela Berbecar)

INFORMATION
The Knot: A Retrospective is in-store until 25 October, 2015

ADDRESS

Bottega Veneta
14 Old Bond Street
London, W1S 4PP

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Tilly Macalister-Smith

Tilly is a British writer, editor and digital consultant based in New York, covering luxury fashion, jewellery, design, culture, art, travel, wellness and more. An alumna of Central Saint Martins, she is Contributing Editor for Wallpaper* and has interviewed a cross section of design legends including Sir David Adjaye, Samuel Ross, Pamela Shamshiri and Piet Oudolf for the magazine.