Tomas Maier left Bottega Veneta abruptly and has laid low since but his successor at Bottega Veneta is not resting on his laurels by slowly making changes at the respected Kering-owned label. Instead, Daniel Lee challenged what we know about the Bottega aesthetic by offering a harder edged collection that harnessed the leather prowess of the house while infusing life into the label via structured outerwear, slouchy and asymmetrical knits - all tied together with a nod to rebellion and breaking the status quo, which is exactly what he did with his runway debut.

Tomas Maier eschewed a runway show in Milan to show instead in New York to commemorate the opening of Bottega Veneta's largest store, set among the world's glitziest names, on Madison Avenue. What Maier created for this special FW18 collection was one that he says was inspired by New York but it felt more European than anything he's done for the Italian maison. The proliferation of animal patterns was a big departure for the quiet and conservative label and was likely one of Maier's most outre for Bottega Veneta. Elsewhere, there were plasticized plaid jackets (they were quite excellent) and some elegant and pared back tailored pieces that seemed to be drowned out by the showier pieces. There were, of course, a wide assortment of bags and accessories to delight any BV client.

Bottega Veneta is one of many labels choosing to combine its men's and women's collection and Tomas Maier is one of the few designers who designs them so that both are are complementary to one another. There were bold color combinations here, many of which were accented by embellishment from grommets to rivets while fabric choice was, of course, quite luxe from suede to leather. There was an American tinge to the collection, part Miami/Cuba, part American southwest and it seemed smart to convey the idea of traveling without being so overt that, yes, humans are traveling more and more and further away now, so why not offer clothes in the same season to suit different itineraries?

Kering's Bottega Veneta is part of the growing number of high fashion labels that are opting for a unified runway show, one that unifies the look and feel of the label so both the men's and women's collections are seamless. An added benefit, one that the press team is not likely to highlight, is that unified runway shows also save big bucks. For FW17, the first collection from Tomas Maier under this new format offered old world glamour, with sharp and masculine silhouettes alongside sumptuous accessories, which are the label's bread and butter.

Hannes Gobeyn lands the latest campaign for Italian label Bottega Veneta, shot by Todd Hido.

Bottega Veneta celebrates its 50th anniversary with an expansive SS17 collection, which also sees the creative director Tomas Maier's 15th anniversary with the Italian house. For this momentous occasion, old-world glamour was on display, as well as the house's signature leather goods, with leather patches helping to create geometric patterns on a jacket, while a leather safari jacket was ultra-luxe and chic.

Though still slouchy, Bottega Veneta's latest collection was much more tailoring-heavy than previous outings. Gone were the luxe sweatpants and in are the double breasted suits with a retro vibe to them, in textured fabrics to give a country feel without losing the city utility that the label's Tomas Maier so often aspires to bring. Bonded leather was a big story here, many of which were unisex, and they added extra texture to the collection.

Tomas Maier's latest collection for Kering-owned Bottega Veneta proffered such high end comfort that these dashing men could lounge around their expansive homes and never want to take the clothes off. There were tons of super comfortable knits and lightweight cashmeres, as well as a litany of haute athleticwear, from hoodies to sweatpants and a litany of sneakers. A Middle Eastern vibe also ran through the collection, which is apropos since elegant loungewear is quite common in that part of the world. Maier has provided comfort-wear that has never been so chic as it was here.

Sung Jin Park stuns in the latest collaborative campaign from Kering-owned Bottega Veneta. Famed photographer Nobuyoshi Araki snaps Sung Jin alongside Saskia de Brauw in the gritty and sexy story featuring Tomas Maier's designs.

See the full collection here.

Bottega Veneta is Kering's most prestigious (and expensive) label so Tomas Maier's approach to dressing: understated and lived-in, is telling of its customers. Everything under Kering's wing has a purpose, such as Gucci, known for its sex appeal, and Alexander McQueen, known for pushing boundaries, so too does this label. Bottega Veneta proffers loose, understated luxury, with just a hint of sex appeal and utilizes the world's best fabrics, such as crushed velvet or exotic skins like this collection, and presenting them in loose fitted knits and voluminous bottoms to create an air of casual luxury. This collection triumphs in this approach for its wide denim jeans, suede outerwear, boxy double breasted suits and a color demure but colorful palette, including mallow, mustard and rust.

Otto Lotz stuns in front of David Sims' camera as he wears Tomas Maier's designs for Bottega Veneta's Fall/Winter 2014 campaign. Katie Grand styles Danish model in utilitarian and sporty designs from Maier.

See the full collection here.