In 2002, Tomas Maier, Bottega Veneta's Creative Director, launched the Art of Collaboration-a project that invites a world-renowned photographer or contemporary artist to collaborate on the Italian brand's campaign for each season. With more than a thousand photographs, this book chronicles the comprehensive series of creative partnerships since the beginning.
Divided by each seasonal campaign from 2002 to 2016, Bottega Veneta: Art of Collaboration documents the collaborations between Tomas Maier and all the artists who have contributed to the creation of Bottega Veneta's advertising portfolio including Lord Snowdon, Annie Leibovitz, Peter Lindbergh, Steven Meisel, Robert Longo, Nan Goldin, Nick Knight, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, and others.
These creative individuals translate Bottega Veneta's timeless and refined elegance into beautifully cinematic campaigns season after season. Tomas Maier, whose resume includes positions at Sonia Rykiel and Hermes, joined Bottega Veneta in 2001 as Creative Director and re-established the original identity of the brand founded in Vicenza in 1966, focusing on its values and original motto, "When your own initials are enough." Since joining, Maier guided the company with his distinctive vision of functional design and holistic creativity built around the dynamism of the collaborative process. Collaboration at Bottega Veneta is not only a meaningful alliance between the creative vision of its designer and the innovative techniques of the Italian master craftspeople, but extends to the way Bottega Veneta partners with talents on its advertising portfolio, and other initiatives.
Featuring some of today's brightest visionaries working in photography, often from outside the world of fashion, Bottega Veneta: Art of Collaboration illustrates how they have each interpreted the house's modernist aesthetic and material elegance, resulting in a book that will be an essential volume for photography aficionados.
Industry Reviews
"...this book sleekly embodies the understated elegance of the Italian luxury goods company."
-San Francisco Chronicle
"A richly illustrated survey of the craftsmanship, design, and extraordinary materials that have made the Italian label one of the most eminent purveyors of luxury goods in the world, this book will be the ultimate volume for the true connoisseur of luxury, and a must for anyone with an interest in the evolution of this venerable brand." -Lifeandtimes.com
"This coming year marks the 50th year of Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta, and what better way to celebrate this milestone than with a restrospective tome showcasing more than a decade of its stunning ad campaigns? . . . From behind-the-scenes shots to images of Bottega Veneta models snapped around the globe to stills of the house's iconic hand-woven accessories, this spectacular book is coffee table-ready."
-HOUSTON MODERN LUXURY
"Indeed, cracking open Bottega Veneta..feels a lot like walking into a boutique and basking in the Italian-made glow on display." -Artinfo.com
"For once this reviewer is flummoxed by this ultimately quintessential and exquisite love letter to the brand that is Bottega Veneta. What strikes one immediately upon completion of its reading is that this elegant and tastefully rendered homage is all about the brand and not the designer, which immediately elevates its worth and value as a book concerning style, fashion, and craftsmanship-not just a single diva designer.... topics so skillfully explored in this superb book, make sure you own it."
-New York Journal of Books
"Expect to see behind-the-scenes shots, images of Bottega Veneta models snapped around the globe and still of the iconic hand-woven leather accessories -- perfect for any coffee table."
-ANGELENO MODERN LUXURY
"[Bottega Veneta: Art of Collaboration] features over 1,000 photographs and reflections on team-up, making it a must-have for any fashion or photography fan."
-ESSENTIAL HOMME MAGAZINE
"Bottega Veneta: Art of Collaboration is a very large catalogue raissone of work produced for Maier by a roll call of the world's top photographers. . . Strangely distorted shapes, bizarre poses and lots of pure white space make Longo's work stand out from other campaigns by more famous photographers, far too many of which seem pedestrian."
-THE BUSINESS OF FASHION
"It may sound odd to compile a book of ads, but for Bottega Veneta, campaigns are somewhat of an art form. Since Tomas Maier became creative director in 2002, each season's has been a collaboration with some of the art and photo world's biggest names - think Annie Leibovitz, Nick Knight, Alex Prager, and Philip-Lorca diCorcia. The 1,000-plus photos that have followed are now amassed in Bottega Veneta: Art of Collaboration, a cinematic 656-page tome published by Rizzoli."
-NEW YORK MAGAZINE
"Beyond its obvious beauty - and there are some images that quite literally take your breath away - the book serves as a visual chronicle of the brand's evolution under Maier's stewardship."
-thenational.ae
