RUNWAY: Bottega Veneta SS15

Tomas Maier's latest collection for Bottega Veneta was not just athletically inspired but it was just plain athletic, from beautifully crafted sweatpants in sophisticated finishes to chunky knits. Maier barely showed any tailored pieces, which is uncharacteristic, but what little he did show was dressed down including a textured navy jacket with a pair of boxing-inspired shorts and cloud-patterned shirts, unbuttoned three-forths of the way down. Also uncharacteristic of him were all the low cut tops, revealing bare chests and rock hard stomaches, the models looking a bit oily and sweaty; all to hint that these men were just out for a run or back from the gym. Without the refinement and the pared back styling the collection could have easily gone awry but the creative team is clearly adept to to presenting luxury as luxury rather than pretend it's not; this is not a collection for the normcore-loving male.