All the intricate trappings of the most demure lace and not a hint of the prissiness. From their ready-to-wear to their shoes and bags, and, of course, jewelry, I am so in love with Bottega Veneta‘s lace story this season. Trompe l’oeil stencils created virtual lace on the runway, combined with touches of mesh and frayed leather, they gave new depth and meaning to conventional lace.
In all-matte blackened oxidized silver, the jewelry has a hard edge that’s quite assertive – just the kind of lace I like. The necklace – such a spectacular piece it looks like it was pulled from a darkly mystical garden – won’t be hard to show off with something that’s already in your closet. My favorite is the bangle, and apparently I’m not the only one. It’s sold out on Net-a-Porter (but still available at Bottega). For $4,380, you know it’s out of this world. It’s brimming with elaborate detailing yet still maintains a high degree of delicacy. And heavy and thick enough to make a seriously cool statement. I tried it on briefly – I was afraid of falling too madly in love with it, but mad enough to spend over $4K? You decide.
The chunky ring is also divine, and much more manageable in price. It obviously doesn’t have as much complicated detailing, but an airy, open filagree is the perfect antidote to gunmetal-faceted cubic zirconia. Chandelier earrings in jet-black are a nice twist on traditional crystal versions, while always pretty can get mundane. Speaking of mundane – that’s simply not a word in Bottega’s vocabulary.
Blackened Oxidized Silver Floral Lace Necklace on Net-a-Porter
Blackened Oxidized Silver Chandelier Earrings on Net-a-Porter
Blackened Oxidized Silver Filigree Ring on Net-a-Porter
Blackened Oxidized Silver Bangle on Net-a-Porter for $4,380. (Currently sold out on Net-a-Porter, but available now at Bottega Veneta)