Milan Fashion Week’s Best Looks

Eschewing the traditional fashion calendar, Bottega Veneta’s Danial Lee debuted his spring 2021 collection today via a video hosted on the brand’s website. And what he presented was well worth the wait. In Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, which he cast in lime great lights, a coterie of guests—including singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry, dancer Michael Clark, and artist Rosemarie Trocke—eyed a lineup that showcased Lee’s idea of beauty and femininity.

To get his definition across, Lee released Salon 01, a collection of three books that are composed of collages. Book 01, in particular, focused on his inspirations, combining images of dancers, a Greek statue, a snapshot of a model in the ’70s, and close-ups of body parts. Lee also played a prerecorded voiceover by Cherry throughout the presentation. She expressed how “You can make a lot with very little,” how “Stillness and quiet can also be quite loud”—often ending each phrase with a laugh. For Lee, beauty is found in simplicity, and femininity is based on confidence.

This rumination was perfectly reflected in the collection. Careful attention was given to marrying fabric choice and silhouettes, which resulted in knitwear and sporty dresses that imbue confidence and sex appeal. There were sleek tops and mini frocks made of thick gauge yarns, form-fitting jacquard suits in pastel hues, and wool dresses with visible boning. As Cherry added, “Sometimes, you need to get dressed up and feel bad, and hot, and sexy.”—Barry Samaha