Posted by Marly on tPF, published Nov. 13 '06 in The Independent News.
Tomas Maier hates labels, but he's still transformed Bottega Veneta into a bestselling brand. Cat Callender meets the master of understated luxury
Tomas Maier is a stickler for details. But as he is Bottega Veneta's
creative director, you could say he is paid to obsess. "I cut the
labels out of my clothes for two reasons. One, because they itch. And
the second reason is that there is always someone who tries to look in
your clothes to see what you wear," explains Maier, whose deep voice is
a fusion of fashion-world ennui, elongated Teutonic vowels and a
clipped German delivery. "This always annoys me terribly. I find it
very uncomfortable when your jacket opens to reveal a little label and
you don't even realise it. And then it might also come across that you
are hanging your jacket over a chair to show that it's a Gucci jacket -
like, 'See, I have the money to buy a Gucci coat.' So I hate labels."
Finicky perhaps. But Maier's meticulous eye for details has paid off. Dubbed "the thinking man's Tom Ford", in the five years since the Gucci Group bought Bottega Veneta and hired Maier to head up the brand, he has transformed it from a tiny luxury handbag and luggage company with a chequered past into number two in Gucci's stable - overtaking YSL.
Founded in Vicenza in 1966, by the 1970s, Bottega Veneta had become the accessories label to flaunt. Not only was it the choice of the Studio 54 crowd [Andy Warhol bought his Christmas presents at the New York store] but Lauren Hutton's rich housewife in the film American Gigolo loved Bottega, too. But by the 1990s, the low-key brand had fallen into semi-obscurity thanks to that decade's focus on brash, flashy brands such as, ironically, Gucci.
In a bid to move back into the limelight in the early Noughties, Bottega harnessed creatives from the then underground London fashion scene (Katie Grand, Giles Deacon, Stuart Vevers) to inject the brand with some of their street cred. It was the height of logomania. The result was luxury ear muffs, chequerboard mink trench coats and leather swimsuits - great for Hoxtonites but not for Bottega's sophisticated customer base. Not long after, Gucci stepped in, bought two-thirds of the business for $60m and installed Maier to get the brand back on track.
Largely considered responsible for having redefined notions of luxury and ushering in a new wave of stealth-wealth chic, Maier's philosophy is one of "discreet individualism". "It's not obvious that our products are expensive and that is a good thing. I hate anything that looks like it cost a lot of money; it's distasteful. What you pay for are the materials and a unique make," says Maier, who previously spent eight years at Hermès and who - alongside his commitments at Bottega - designs his acclaimed eponymous collection which launched in 1998. "The appeal is that it's not in your face."
This ethos is mirrored by Bottega's slogan: "When your own initials are enough", and backed up by the brand's products. Exquisitely crafted, unassumingly luxurious, each garment and every accessory is designed in such a way so as never to usurp the identity of its owner. After all, Bottega people never brand themselves Bottega people - that would be far too vulgar.
"When I came here I took the logos off everything because there were logos on everything; e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. There were logos on every buckle, every clothing system, all the linings, everywhere," sneers Maier. He chose to focus on marrying anonymity with exclusivity. "If this was going to be a company that defines itself by the make, you should be able to recognise the product by the way it is made."
Take Bottega's fine jewellery that launched this winter: 18-carat, woven-yellow-gold chain necklaces and bracelets that are set with diamonds - a technique that hasn't been used in goldsmithing for some 10 years. Each takes a week to make in Maier's hometown, Pforzheim. They are then put through a tumbler for two days in order for the "nouveau riche gold lustre to disappear". Or the brand's signature Intrecciato woven-leather bag, the Cabat (translation: "work sack"), which takes two days for two artisans to make from about 70 leather strips. Or even the clothes that have entered an entirely new stratosphere in terms of expense: cashmere stretch dresses (£1,270), hand-painted cashmere cardigans (£755), tailored, embroidered, silk-crepe evening dresses (£3,235). While these garments might cost the earth, they are never showy.
As much as Maier hates logos, he would seem to abhor the banality of must-have, seasonal bags even more. For this reason, many of Bottega's staples remain, season in, season out. Even though the Cabat is its bestseller, just 200 are made each year. And that's a lot compared with the 50 Bandolero bags that are hand-stitched with pheasant feathers and created only annually.
In keeping with the brand's understated level of chic, Maier designs pieces that revolve around the notion of private pleasures. "Everything needs to be as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside," he says citing one flannel evening gown in the autumn/winter 2006 collection that is internally pleated and constructed with a bustier that provides structure but isn't visible from the outside.
This discreet obsession with life's little details is one that Maier would appear to share with his customers. You could say Bottega's loyal client following is fast becoming a kind of modern connoisseurship. A recent survey by the New York-based Luxury Institute revealed that Bottega outranked Hermès and Armani as the most prestigious fashion brand. Maier has also transformed the brand into a company whose revenue grew 66 per cent last year to $190m (£100m), whose profits tripled to $17m and whose sales are estimated to chalk up $238m this year alone.
As well as handbags, men's and women's ready-to-wear, the Bottega universe now also embraces homeware, a pets' collection, sunglasses, children's shoes and a Cruise collection, which is currently in stores. Thanks to the under-the-radar nature of Cruise, the line is very Bottega in spirit - not to mention a growing concept. "Cruise is a very interesting collection because it is turning into a season in its own right," explains Maier. "It's the longest of any season on the floor because it doesn't need ever to go on sale until early July."
Traditionally, Cruise was designed to outfit the jetset on their winter holidays in chic hotspots. However, these days, it acts as a mid-season stock drop to refresh stores with desirable pre-spring clothes in November, thus sating consumers' increasing thirst for the new. Although Cruise previously erred on the more classic side of style, today it's very much seen as a harbinger of what's to come. It has grown beyond its original remit (beachwear, chic cover-ups and cocktail dresses) to encompass everything from city suits to sundresses.
And there's always more to be pondered, evaluated and obsessed about, such as the intrinsic modernity of building pockets into eveningwear dresses. But surely this pursuit of perfection must take its toll? "If you let the little things go, there are so many little things that, at the end of the day, it becomes a big thing. So you have to be a perfectionist in every little detail. If you own a garment or a bag and there is one thing that is not right, it's not right."
But then, by the time Maier has finished with it, it's only ever spot on.
On the way to work today, I was reminded of something I'd never noticed in previous trips to Japan. On any form of public transport, you're expected to turn your mobile to silent mode and not chat on it, so as not to disturb other passengers. I think this is really quite civilised, and makes long journeys more peaceful (and conducive to snoozing). On the other hand, I've read that doing your makeup on trains is frowned upon, but I once saw 2 girls (on the same train but not together) doing a full face on the subway. Amazing. Both were quite pretty and well-dressed.
The other thing that impressed me very much is the ubiquity of lockers. They were everywhere: train stations, subway stations, on the streets outside train stations, in department stores and shopping centres. Many had transparent doors so that you could see what was inside. We could do with some of these in our department stores and shopping centres!
I'm back after a 2-week holiday in New York and Tokyo. I'm not going to do a blow-by-blow account, just a few thoughts here.
We flew Northwest because we 1) wanted to stopover in Tokyo, 2) were cheap and 3) didn't want to fly United. As a result, we had to change planes again between Narita and JFK, both ways. The almost 7-hour wait in Minneapolis was the worst. We were severely jetlagged and there was nowhere we could safely nap (it's not exactly Changi). If I had to do it again, I'd probably choose United or pay more to fly ANA. The only silver lining is that I have enough frequent flyer miles for another return flight to Tokyo now. Finally, if you've never used an American airline before, you're in for a bit of a shock.
New York
We stayed at the New Yorker, which is a nice Art Deco building that was featured briefly in Definitely Maybe (one of the rather pathetic range of films available on the SIN-NRT route - no personal entertainment system the other 2 legs of the journey) and probably other films too. We paid about S$400/night for a tiny room in this 3-star hotel. But everything is clean and works, and service while indifferent is not inefficient (describes also NYC service in general). The best thing about the hotel is the location: it's in mid town, and the subway stop is right outside. By the way, for the airport transfer, we tried both SuperShuttle and Airlink, and I would highly recommend not using SuperShuttle.
We bought Citypasses and did just about all the touristy stuff in NYC, since it was my mum's first trip there. We got a 7-day metrocard and used the subway and buses, only resorting to taking a cab once (part of the NYC experience after all). For the subway, I would suggest checking the MTA website whenever possibly for service advisories - you really don't want to spend more time than absolutely necessary in subway stations.
To get to Woodbury Common (not to be missed outlet shopping), the cheapest deal I found was with Express Trails so we went with that. Travel times are fixed though so we didn't get enough time at Woodbury at all. I'd pay more to go with a company that offers more flexible timing next time. The most amazing thing about Woodbury was that there was a queue outside the Coach outlet! LOL. As a result we didn't go in - no time! We went on my birthday, which was coincidentally the first day of the Memorial Day sale there, so there were some amazing further reductions.
We caught 2 musicals on Broadway, Spamalot and Avenue Q. I was pretty restricted when it came to choosing, because only one of the 2 major ticketing services allowed me to book from overseas online, and I wanted to make use of online discount codes. I'm not sure how I feel about Spamalot; I think it's not as funny as the movie, but fatigue at that point might have made it harder for me to enjoy the show. Avenue Q, on the other hand, is brilliant and everyone should catch it when it comes to Singapore later this year. One thing about Broadway theatres that surprised me is how tiny they are compared to the theatres in other cities I've been to, including the West End.
If some amazing airfare deal came up, I would definitely consider going to NYC again, if only for the sales :P What really irks me is the price of accommodations there. The best deals always go very early, so in order to save you really have to book well in advance. Even private hostel rooms.
Tokyo
When we arrived in Tokyo we were already pretty loaded with luggage, but we decided to buy the combination airport express train + stored value travel card in order to save money. On hindsight, the airport limousine coach would probably have been a better choice. With trains you always have to struggle with luggage, and the Japanese seem to prefer escalators to lifts. If I were coming straight from Singapore, I think the train would be ideal since my luggage would be pretty light. The bus is always the better choice when going home.
We stayed at Rose Garden Shinjuku, which I would say is almost a boutique hotel on the west side of Shinjuku, away from the shopping and the nightlife. It was relatively inexpensive for Tokyo: we paid S$238/night for a rather large room with twin beds and a huge bathroom. The nearest subway station is right across the road and just one stop away from Shinjuku station (you could quite easily walk there too). Service is good too - I highly recommend this place.
Since we'd both been to Tokyo before, our stay was considerably more leisurely. We explored Ueno, Odaiba and the Tsukiji market for the first time. We also made daytrips to Hakone and Nikko. What really spoiled our trip was the near non-stop rain. I really wished I had my proper raincoat and a pair of the rainboots that so many people there wore. Hakone wasn't much fun in the rain, and of course, we saw nothing of Mt Fuji at all. Fortunately when we made a separate trip up to Hakone on another day, to the Gotemba outlets, we did get a good view of it in the morning, when the weather was better.
The weather was appropriately excellent the day we went to Nikko, though. I like Nikko, though as far as pilgrimage towns in Japan are concerned, Koyasan is way more outstanding in terms of temples and scenery. I actually think I also prefer Kamakura, which despite the lack of impressive scenery, has some amazing temples.
Ueno park is really nothing special out of cherry blossom season, but the National Museum there is well worth visiting. My must-see for the area is actually Ameyoko market on the other side of Ueno station. This was obviously where local housewives shopped! We had some inexpensive conveyor belt sushi and for the first time found Japanese dried scallops and mushrooms being sold in Japan. I'd recently paid $$$ for them at Isetan in Singapore, so we were in a good position to compare prices. The vendors were obviously used to Chinese customers - some spoke a smattering of Mandarin and/or Cantonese. You'll also find all sorts of dried Japanese seafood being sold here, including freshly shaved katsuobushi (bonito flakes). We picked up a bag and also some dried Hokkaido whole cuttlefish. We also found a budget supermarket where we stocked up on rice crackers.
Another good place to stock up on dried foods is surprisingly Tsukiji market. We arrived too late for the auctions, but we still saw the most amazing array of fresh seafood ever. Mouthwatering. At the edge of the market you will also find a few stalls selling dried goods, including seafood and mushrooms. We found a really good deal on dried scallops, but unfortunately the seller didn't have much left. At one stall we bought these dried baby squid after sampling them - yummy! We also picked up another bag of mushrooms. The guy selling them spoke good English and was able to explain the different grades to me. He was also quite good-looking! Hehe.
Also at the edge of the market are several tiny sushi places. Amazingly there were long queues outside a few, so I guess they must be quite famous. We went into a quiet one and had some good sushi anyway. Since we didn't speak Japanese, they gave us a card with names in English and pictures. The 2 chefs made the sushi as we ordered. Really tasty, fresh and satisfying. My favourite was the akagai (red clam - looks like a giant cockle) sushi - I've never had such delicious akagai. I love akagai and they were all over the market.
Incidentally, all the sushi we had in Tokyo had plenty of fish on top. I had fresh raw uni (urchin) for the first time on this trip, and I can see how people can get addicted to it. It's not fishy at all, and is like the creamiest crab roe you've ever had (albeit with a more delicate taste) - melts completely in your mouth. One fish I kept looking for but didn't find was swordfish. I'm not sure why? I'm pretty sure I'd recognise it if I saw it. It's supposedly inexpensive in Japan, and I actually prefer it to tuna.
Foodwise, on this trip we ate a lot of bentos, especially while on the long train trips, feeling very Japanese as we did! I also ate soba a few times. The Japanese like their soba really firm, beyond al dente, even. I know much more about Japanese food now then when I last went to Japan in 2002, and that really helps in trying new stuff.
I mentioned Gotemba above. Going was really a last minute decision on my part. I'd initially intended to go to the newly opened Mitsui outlets at Iruma instead. The Mitsui chain has more Japanese labels, while the Chelsea Premium outlets more American and European brands. Chelsea also owns Woodbury, and when we arrived at Gotemba it looked a lot like Woodbury from the outside. My main reason for choosing Gotemba instead was that I'd got such a great deal at the Bottega Veneta outlet at Woodbury, I was really curious what the one at Gotemba had to offer. BV was obviously hugely popular in Japan, moreso than in the US. In addition, I have come to admit that as much as I admired Japanese fashion, I don't find their clothing labels very appealing. Just far too feminine and girlish for me. As it turned out, the shopping was much better at Gotemba than at Woodbury, in the sense that variety was much better, even if the prices weren't. It was also a lot quieter, and the shops didn't have the vaguely "lelong" feel of factory outlets either. No queues or madhouse crowds here.
One last note here about the rain and Japan. Half the population turned out carrying these transparent plastic umbrellas that went for just JPY500 at your nearest convenience store and of course we had to have one, never mind that it made lugging home all our stuff even harder. Eventually, we picked one up at Tokyu Hands (a chain of department stores for people into crafts and other cool stuff - I *heart* Tokyu Hands) for JPY350. Instead of the transparent type, we got a less common varient that was made of a white translucent plastic. All buildings will provide plastic covers for your wet brolly: slot your umbrella into the dispenser and pull it out sideways - no need to get rainwater all over yourself struggling to get the plastic on. A few shops provided you with reusable pastic jackets instead that you returned to the shop when you left. Finally, when it rains, most if not all shops that use paper carriers will actually put a plastic "poncho" over your paper bag. This is like an upside-down plastic bag with a slit on the top for your bag handles. The edges of the cover are taped to the base of your paper bag. No more disintegrating paper bags in the rain.
Because I'm starting to collect them.
First I got the Reisenthel Mini Maxi.
No 2 was the Envirosax.
I now prefer this Japanese range, Kurochiku. They don't feel quite as sturdy, especially compared to the Envirosax, but the dimensions are better designed, and the prints prettier.
They are quite inexpensive too, so I ended up with one of each size! Initially I bought the small in the chrysanthemum print and the large in the rabbit print. Then they introduced the one with the different handles and an inner pocket, so I got that in the print with the various flowers against a black background. I really like the turquoise print too.
Then there's the really expensive ROO brand. Very sturdy, with a zip pocket on one side.
I think AB&C (found inside Kino, Raffles City basement, Taka B1 and Bugis Junction) has the biggest range of reusable shopping bags now, with new brands and designs coming in all the time. I really like the Miffy range they stock too. (Speaking of which, I have a Hello Kitty one I bought years ago - not sure where it is now.)
I hand in my final assignment for my PGDHE course.
YAY!!!
Now gimme my cert.
As attractive as my Nike leather trainers are, they're not really meant for working out, so today I got a pair of Adidas from the Novena outlet.
Frankly, the silver bits are a bit too "space-age" for my taste (though it's not as bad as the pair that was completely silver), but this was affordable and comfortable, and I guess nobody really looks at your shoes at the gym. Right?
My gym gear has also turned out to be too much for my large, stylish totes, so I needed something very light and very roomy. I didn't want a gym-bag gym bag. In the end I got this cross-body bag.
It looks quite structured in this photo, but it isn't really. It's soft and floppy in fact, and the pleats don't look so neatly ironed. The inside is a dark purple that contrasts very nicely. (There was a duffle too, which would hold a LOT, but really too big for somebody my height.)
The amusing thing about this bag is that there are 2 large slots, one at each end of the shoulder strap. SA says they are for water bottles. Er, I don't know about her, but I wouldn't carry 2 1-litre bottles of water to the gym (or to the yoga studio - adilibria is a yoga collection). There are also 2 strappy things, one on the shoulder strap and another on the side of the bag (visible in the photo). SA says they are for water bottles too! ROTFL. For the record, I carry a small water bottle only since there are always water coolers around.
ETA: I think I've solved the mystery :) The 2 straps are for strapping on your yoga mat! Yet another thing I never carry around...
After pondering it for goodness knows how long, it's finally in my hands. I first saw this bag (in khaki) carried by Aiingel, but it wasn't available in Singapore then.
To be honest, I'm not sure if I like the shape of it, but it certainly is unusual for the Le Pliage range. I do like how it buttons up, and the roomy inside pocket. I also like the fact that the opening is leather-trimmed. The size of the bag and the length of the straps are right too. I can confirm, though, that it isn't meant to be folded up. I mean, you can fold it, but you can't fasten it up. (So does it even qualify as a Le Pliage bag?)
