Struggling Bottega Veneta seduces with 1940s silhouettes

Bottega Veneta looked to the 1940s for inspiration for its understated but luxurious autumn-winter 2017 collection showing Saturday in Milan, with fitted waists, accentuated shoulders and day-time tuxedos. The show came as the label struggles and continues to under-perform other Kering-owned brands.

Creative Director Tomas Maeir is the latest fashion great to sign up to the co-ed movement, and showed his men's and women's collections together for the first time here.

Need a red carpet dress or off for a spot of horse riding? Maeir has something for both occasions with creations which ran from a stunning evening gown in gold fluid metal and silk to jodhpurs with a billowing hip.

Model Eva Herzigova donned the riding pants and a pair of long, striped leather gloves for her appearance on the catwalk. Her male counterparts also showed off double-breasted coats that recalled riding or frock coats.

The watchword was simplicity: double-faced cashmere jackets and coats were colour-blocked -- in beautiful ochres and terracottas -- but unadorned, while a cape had nothing but a simple metal piercing as a clasp at the neck. Skirts were done in multi plaid wool, gloves in suede, bags in goat hair and pumps in dark gold lizard.

But the take-home image was the revival of the 1940s silhouette in dresses, overcoats or suits, more often than not clinched at the waist with double-buckled belts.

The men's collection appeared to be more a complement to the women's range rather than an offering which was full-bodied enough to also stand alone. "They speak the same language," Maeir said in the notes to the show.

Tuxedos were the theme, though the wide-bow ties in black or white pois silk were matched with both traditional dress shirts and softer polo necks or cashmere cardigans.

Shoes for next season? Round-toe lace-ups with buckles for men, and wedge boots or pumps for women -- at least for the downtime between horse-back rides.