Bottega Veneta's new fanzine chronicles the journey of Matthieu Blazy
A project revealing the creative process of Matthieu Blazy's Summer 24 collection
March 12th, 2024
Bottega Veneta is preparing to launch its fanzine, an account of the creative journey in the Summer 24 collection edited by the Creative Director. Consisting of four volumes, the publication brings together photographs taken by Alec Soth, backstage images, sketches, stickers and a travel notebook that transports readers inside the campaign shot in Tokyo. The volumes are enclosed in a printed slipcase on which is depicted the same illustrated map that adorned the floor of the Summer 24 fashion show. The spirit of adventure and discovery continues with the campaign shot by Alec Soth in some of Tokyo's playgrounds, famous for structures shaped like animals, rocks and mushrooms. Magnum photographer Soth, known for his "on the road" style and large-scale photographic journeys, emphasizes the physicality and whimsy of these structures, parallel to the material craftsmanship and imagination that characterize Matthieu Blazy's creations. «When I encounter Matthieu's work, I simultaneously find myself in two worlds,» says Soth. «One is deeply physical-a world of craftsmanship that involves all the senses-and the other is the stuff of dreams. My approach to the countryside was one of play. The playgrounds seemed like a metaphor for Matthieu's imagination. I wanted to bring the same spirit into my images.»
Volumes 2 and 3 inspire readers' physical or fantastical journeys, with a Carnet de Voyage, a travel notebook, and a set of stickers depicting the motifs of the Tokyo playground structures, the collection, and the Summer 24 fashion show, as well as vintage luggage tags and travel stickers. The final volume shows behind-the-scenes images of the campaign. «Summer 24 is an Odyssey,» Blazy explains. «It is a free and hopeful journey. A connection to who you once were, who you would like to be and where you would like to go. The fanzine allows any reader, wherever they are, to join this journey and imagine and keep track of their own escapes and adventures, both in the world and in their own creativity.» Summer 24 is Bottega Veneta's fourth fanzine. For the first time, the publication is available not only in Bottega Veneta stores around the world, but also in select bookstores globally, including: Reading Room and Libreria Bocca in Milan.