Bottega Veneta Arco

[dropcap size=small]W[/dropcap]ith the interest in handicraft, design and premium furniture showing little sign of abating, it makes sense that fashion houses have been growing their presence at Milan Design Week – the biggest event on the global design and home furnishings calendar, with 350,000 visitors. Aside from using the April event to showcase their lesser-known furniture collections, fashion brands typically collaborate with design houses to create artistic installations.

This year, however, a couple of fashion brands are bringing the focus back to their core products. Bottega Veneta launched its Arco bag during Milan Design Week, creating a link between the design-centred event and the craftsmanship that goes into the making of the Arco. Available in four sizes in different natural leather colours, the design features a new, orthogonal – that is, at right angles – weave that has a looser, more modern feel.

Over at its Milan boutique, Ermenegildo Zegna launched its new five-piece Essenze fragrance collection while paying tribute to lighting fair Euroluce, a key event at Milan Design Week that marks its 30th anniversary this year. Using colour and light, the brand put a different spin on the typical fragrance launch by playing with the notion of visualising scents. Bright idea.

(RELATED: Fragrances for the future)