For Design Week 2026, Louise Trotter’s latest collaboration turns leather, light, and craft into a sharper expression of the house’s evolving point of view
Bottega Veneta arrives at Milan Design Week with another lesson in how a luxury house can speak softly while still commanding the room. The brand’s latest collaboration with Korean artist Kwangho Lee centers on Lightful, a site-specific installation at the Via Sant’Andrea store that transforms weaving into illumination. In an industry often tempted by spectacle for spectacle’s sake, Bottega continues to favor something rarer: substance with atmosphere.
The installation pairs Lee’s suspended woven forms with newly developed light sculptures crafted from Bottega Veneta leather fettucce. Rendered in bespoke shades of black and green selected by Creative Director Louise Trotter, the pieces hold irregular, organic silhouettes that feel simultaneously engineered and instinctive. Light moves through the woven surfaces, creating shifting shadows that emphasize texture as much as object. It is less a display than a study in tension—soft material made structural, artisanal technique made contemporary, utility made poetic.
The collaboration also marks a growing continuity in Trotter’s creative direction. Lightful is the third project with Lee under her tenure, following the artist’s presence in the Summer 2026 show space and the Weaving the World: The Language of Intrecciato exhibition in Seoul. That repeat engagement matters. Too many brand-art partnerships feel like brief flirtations arranged by calendar invite. This one suggests a real conversation, built over time and strengthened by Lee’s visit to the house atelier in Montebello Vicentino, where craft remains practice rather than slogan.
This is my third collaboration with Bottega Veneta. We began with a local project, then the Summer 2026 show, and now this. Each one has been different. This project is dedicated to the store, which changes everything—it’s not a gallery space. The way I approached the inspiration and the planning was completely new for me. We had to think about the retail environment and how to present both Bottega Veneta and my work in the best way. That process was very meaningful
This is my third collaboration with Bottega Veneta. We began with a local project, then the Summer 2026 show, and now this. Each one has been different. This project is dedicated to the store, which changes everything—it’s not a gallery space. The way I approached the inspiration and the planning was completely new for me. We had to think about the retail environment and how to present both Bottega Veneta and my work in the best way. That process was very meaningful. – Kwangho Lee
Lee’s own work—defined by material experimentation and revived traditional techniques—makes him a natural counterpart for Bottega Veneta, whose identity has long been tied to the symbolism and discipline of weaving. During Design Week, Lightful will extend beyond the boutique through activations across Milan, widening the dialogue without diluting it. A sensible move. When the idea is strong enough, it does not need to shout from one room alone.
