This gorgeous Bottega Veneta (site) fanzine peels back the layers of creativity behind Matthieu Blazy’s Summer 24 collection, a tribute to both tangible and abstract voyages. Across four volumes, readers are transported through a visual journey comprising photography by Alec Soth, candid snapshots, sketches, stickers, and a travel diary that whisks them away to the campaign shoot in Tokyo, fostering both real and creative wanderlust.
Encased in a printed slipcase adorned with an illustrated map reminiscent of the Summer 24 show’s flooring, the fanzine invites readers into a world of adventure and exploration. Soth’s campaign photography, set against playful Tokyo playgrounds dotted with animal-shaped structures, rocks, and mushrooms, captures the essence of Blazy’s designs, marrying material craft with whimsical storytelling.
“When I encounter Matthieu’s work, I am in two worlds simultaneously,” says Soth. “One is profoundly physical – a world of craftsmanship that engages all the senses – and the other is the stuff of dreams. My guiding approach to the campaign was playfulness. The playgrounds felt like a metaphor for Matthieu’s imagination. I wanted to bring the same spirit to my pictures,” shares Soth.
Volumes 2 and 3 of the fanzine serve as catalysts for readers’ own odysseys, featuring a travel notebook and sticker set adorned with motifs from the Tokyo playgrounds, the collection itself, vintage luggage labels, and travel graphics. The final volume offers a glimpse behind the curtain with candid behind-the-scenes images from the campaign shoot.
“Summer 24 is an Odyssey,” explains Blazy. “It is a journey that is both free and hopeful. A connection to who you once were, who you would like to be and where you want to go. The fanzine allows any reader, anywhere, to join that journey, and to imagine and record their own escapes and adventures – whether in the world, or their creativity.”
Summer 24 marks Bottega Veneta’s fourth fanzine. In a first-ever move, the publication will be available not only in Bottega Veneta boutiques worldwide but also in handpicked bookstores, including Reading Room and Libreria Bocca in Milan, Yvon Lambert and Cahier Central in Paris, Climax, Claire de Rouen, and the ICA bookstore in London, Lulu & The Beanstalk in Dubai, Strand, McNally Jackson, and Mast in New York, Still Books, PDF, and The Phrase in Seoul, and Tsutaya Books in Shanghai and Tokyo.
From March 29 to April 14, Bottega Veneta will host an exhibition titled “Tokyo Playtime” at Seeen, 1F/B1F 4-13-12 Jingumae Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo. The showcase will feature images from the Summer 24 campaign alongside Soth’s photographic journey through Japan over the years.
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