In recent years, Bottega Veneta has clearly taken cues from rising art giants such as Le Corbusier and Umberto Boccioni. Now, it looks like creative director Mathieu Blazy is tapping into his inner child. Guests at Italian House’s Spring/Summer 2025 presentation in Milan last month were seated on quirky beanbag chairs. The theme of the collection was children wearing their parents’ clothes. The Maison’s latest capsule collection continues its subtle riffs on childhood, but this time with a literary twist, dedicated to renowned children’s author and illustrator Richard Scarry.
Intrecciato dust bag from the capsule collection. Image: Bottega Veneta.
Boston-born Richard McClure Scarry wrote and illustrated more than 300 children’s books set in his signature animal kingdom, “A Busy World,” from the 1950s to the 1980s. These books have since sold approximately 100 million copies worldwide and influenced generations of children. For example, Robertus Nowkes cited Scarry’s 1968 book, What Do People Do All Day? as inspiration for his social sculpture that will animate the Lithuanian pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale.
Richard Scarry writes a book in his new Bottega Veneta home. Image: Bottega Veneta.
Bottega Veneta’s Spring/Summer 2025 presentation featured scarlet-inspired colorways and accents, including fuzzy headdresses. The brand’s new capsule collection continues that influence. The requisite leather goods, such as card holders, wallets, and even bag charms, are all rendered in Bottega Veneta’s popular intrecciato leather weave, given the same color hints as Scarley’s book. There’s also an apple-shaped coin pouch and a red belt with a fruit-shaped buckle, a favorite vehicle for Scarry’s iconic “Lowly Worm.” Blazey himself declared the character’s uniform – Tyrolean hat, red bow tie, blue and green body tube, and distinctive shoes – “the best costume in the world.”
One of two belts in the collection. Image: Bottega Veneta.
But the real stars of this capsule collection are the one-of-a-kind accessories. Two intrecciato editions of Scarry’s encyclopedia The Greatest Vocabulary of All Time (1985). Both are based on the 2013 reprint books, but one features the actual story and a Bottega Veneta Ex Libris sticker on the first page. The other offers a blank page to act as a sketchbook and customizable tags to exercise childlike fun in claiming your territory.
Books at Bottega Veneta’s new home. Image: Bottega Veneta.
Scully died in Switzerland in 1994, but her granddaughter Olympia attended the unveiling of Bottega Veneta’s New York VIC mansion last weekend and helped launch a new capsule collection. Similar to Palazzo Bottega Veneta, which was unveiled in Venice last June, this luxurious space, located on the fifth floor above Bottega Veneta’s Madison Avenue boutique, celebrates Venice’s heritage and New York history through its vision. Display your brand’s products in a perfectly designed interior that bridges the gap between Of elegance. In addition to cultural programs and perhaps rare dining, New York VIC Residences will also offer special services such as clothing consultations and collection previews.
Inside the Bottega Veneta version of Richard Scarry’s largest vocabulary book ever. Image: Bottega Veneta.
To mark the naming of the house, artist Camille Henroe read aloud from Richard Scarry’s The Night Before Christmas, then taught the children in attendance how to draw Scarry’s legendary characters. As such, Laurie Worm’s influence lives on both among his adult fans and the next generation of trendsetters.
