Bottega Veneta’s Detroit S/S'22 Show

For the third instalment of Bottega Veneta’s Salon shows – following the brand’s ready-to-wear presentations in London and Berlin – Daniel Lee staged a Detroit takeover inspired by his love of the technical and creative spirit at the heart of the Michigan city. Here’s everything you need to know about the celebrity-filled spring/summer 2022 show.

Detroit’s where it’s at

Car superfan (niche intel for Bottega fans) Daniel Lee set up camp in Detroit, the heart of the US automobile industry, for spring/summer 2022. Specifically, the Michigan Building, a former theatre turned parking space and now a multi-faceted co-working venue – as is so often the way. The former club-night hotspot pays homage to another of Lee’s loves: techno (second piece of trivia for Lee acolytes). Music nerds will know Detroit’s reputation as the original “Techno City”, but for anyone simply watching the Moodymann-soundtracked live stream of the show, it was a throbbing reminder of what clubbing used to be like. Sigh.

Bottega Firehouse will make you want to book a trip to Michigan

During his time in Detroit, Lee also pooled his efforts into Bottega Firehouse on 1201 Bagley Street. The creative hub, featuring an Underground Music Academy, a reading room by Asmaa Walton, design works by Chris Schanck and Aratani Fay, textiles by Substudio, furnishings by Donut Shop, ceramics by Hamtramck Ceramck, relief sculptures by Sophie Eisner and a selection of printed matter curated by Ruben Cardenas – as per the press notes – will be open until January. Similar collaborations with other US cities are reportedly in the pipeline.

Naturally, big names flew in for the show

Bottega’s Salon shows have become a who’s who of music’s elite (Kanye, Neneh Cherry and Stormzy have FROW-ed in the past), but spring/summer 2022 was a true party. Mary J Blige, Lil Kim, Burna Boy, Kehlani and Selah Marley joined Zazie Beetz, Slick Woods and Sasha Lane at the Detroit takeover. Just imagine the after-party.

As always, tactility was at the core of the collection

Last season’s undulating micro feathers have been swapped out for equally painstaking (bio-based) rubber beadwork, which must have been thrilling to see IRL in the Michigan Building. From the shimmering paillette-covered dresses (again sustainable), to the parkas stitched with metal thread to manipulate their silhouettes, Lee’s treatment of fabrics is never anything but a delight to behold. Packing light for your trip to Detroit? Spring/summer 2022’s high-performance daywear, inspired by the engineering expertise of the city, can be “squashed and crushed”. Next season is all about function – as well as looking fabulous.

Of course, there were accessories to salivate over

Hailey Bieber’s neck must have been craning over the live stream to see Lee’s latest accessory proposition. At this point, it’s a prerequisite that the delightfully squishy, supple bags and sculptural yet wearable shoes will be a stratospheric success. But somehow Lee still manages to reinvent the wheel. New triangular sandals, sling-backs and colour-pop trainers come in “spongy technical towelling”, and the intrecciato Cassette bags, too, are treated to new textiles. For anyone concerned about their emotional support purse options for next season, Lee assures, “puffy and comforting bags are reassuringly soft to hold”.