Ever Ever ANNA EWERS: The 032c BOTTEGA VENETA Cover That Never Was Is Now Online

We asked FERRY VAN DER NAT to shoot megamodel ANNA EWERS in this season’s BOTTEGA VENETA, designed by the sensational DANIEL LEE, for the cover of 032c Issue #38 (Summer 2020). And he did: in Milan, on the heels of the brand’s canonizing presentation back in February – Lee’s third on the runway since joining the label – and just a step ahead of lockdown in the Italian fashion capital. In the months leading up to the show, Bottega Veneta had been christened “brand of the year,” and the creative director had scooped up a record-breaking number of fashion awards, taking home four from December’s annual British Fashion Council ceremony alone – more than any designer ever has in one cycle. Nothing in 2020 went as predicted, and we decided to cancel the print issue – and Van der Nat’s cover – as we scanned the post-COVID landscape for industry insights. Among our discoveries: the title still goes to Bottega Veneta. The Pre-Fall collection is out, so we’re releasing the story right here, online. Now the cover feature that never was, is, too.

Bottega Veneta was founded in 1966, but that didn’t stop Lyst from dubbing it a “breakout brand” following its first ready-to-wear show with Lee at the helm (Spring/Summer 2019). The debut, and the collections since, have embraced and deepened the label’s accessories prowess and emphasis, taking the signature leather work to new dimensions – not just in form and scale, but in softness and flexibility (essential qualities “in these times,” and always). Lee’s take on Bottega’s signature intrecciato weave is minimalist but playful, exaggerated but elegant, a choreography adapted for cowled and reversible It-Bags, reprised in puffed geometric outerwear and sandals.

Styled by our own MARC GOEHRING and shot by Van der Nat against a simple studio backdrop, industry top Ewers models Bottega’s new dexterity in sheer knitwear, chain-link hardware, sportswear-inspired waterproof leather, and silhouettes from both men's and women’s Spring and Pre-Fall collections.