On the 12th of November, Bottega Veneta’s creative director Matthieu Blazy and his collaborator Lebanese architect Carl Gerges unveiled a unique showcase of cultural and design fusion in the exclusive Bottega event titled ‘Waves’ in Dubai.
The intimate lighting and sculpted furniture informed attendees that the scene was set to the moonlit sand dunes of an Arabian desert. Visitors say the spatial composition done by Tarek Atoui worked to enhance the atmosphere with his skill in utilising experimental instruments to bring a scene to life through ambience.
The show featured many middle eastern musicians such as the Palestinian- Jordanian singer-songwriter Zeyne who went semi viral on social media for her Dabke dance at the end of her performance. The Dabke dance is one important to both her and Nemahsis’ culture as they are both Palestinians. Blazy and Bottega Veneta intended this show to be a celebration of artistic transmission, showcasing the beauty and diversity of tradition across the middle east, as well as introducing what the future of that representation will look like.
Bottega is a historically Venetian brand, largely known for their iconic luxury bags under Daniel Lee, but Blazy draws inspiration from around the world for both his collections and for the identity of the brand. I see this in his most recent runway show- Spring ‘25 Ready-to-wear; Blazy took the well-known Italian cut suit and redesigned it to fit in an eccentric way, with flowing skirts and oversized blazer-jackets that sit loosely around the wearer’s frame, taking worker’s staples and using colour and tailoring to kill their monotone. These looser silhouettes can be compared to the UAE cultural dress called 'Dishdasha', and the vibrant colours dotted throughout the collection remind viewers of the beautiful colours seen travelling through Morocco.
I find designers excel when they look around the world to find themselves and translate that into their artistic expression, and Blazy is praised for doing exactly that.
