It's safe to say that, since Daniel Lee took over as creative director of Bottega Veneta, it's become the hottest brand to buy into.
The Italian fashion house, known for its leather goods, has actually been around since 1966. However, the designer has taken it from traditional to trend-setting in the past year, thanks to his modern take on the label's signature Intrecciato weave, his bold use of colour and unique approach to accessories (think abstract shapes and ugly/cool vibes).
In fact, the designer's stint at the house has been so popular that it's garnered its own trending hashtag, '#newbottega', a rare honour previously only bestowed by fashionistas to the likes of Phoebe Philo-era Céline (AKA '#oldceline').
Interestingly, Lee actually joined Bottega from Céline, where he was the director of ready-to-wear. If the fashion set were yearning for their fix of weird-chic-wearability a year ago, they certainly aren't now. Coincidence? We think not.
The one item we're most obsessed with, aside from that Insta-famous pouch clutch, is the fire square-toe mules. Since they dropped in summer, these babies have been spotted on every editor, influencer and street styler's feet.
They're hard to miss, tbh, their cerulean hue popping against any outfit. In fact, we'd go as far to say as the Bottega blue is THE colour of 2020 (sorry Pantone).
Can't afford to drop a cool £590 on a pair of these 'It'-shoes? Neither can we. So we were pretty happy to discover Topshop's take on them. Same strong square toe, same mid-height curved heel, same minimalist mule silhouette and a V. V. similar colour. The price, however, different. For £65, you can treat yourself to a little Bottega cool (worth every penny).
SHOP NOW Rada leather square-toe mules, £65, Topshop
Topshop obvs realised that this bold blue might be a little OTT for some, so it has released this more neutral colourways of black and cream. Shoppers went mad for the black, and they consequently sold out (although the retailer has told us similar mules will be dropping in February/March time).
SHOP NOW Rada leather square-toe mules, £65, Topshop
For now, though, if you've not already got the blue in your basket, snap up these cream babies – they're just as versatile.
SHOP NOW Rada leather square-toe mules, £65, Topshop
When we were scouring the web for our Fauxttega fix, we also came across these incred sandals from ASOS. They just happen to look exactly like the brand's strappy toe-thong style loved by none other than Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Get. In. My. Basket.
Still not satisfied? Here's a load of other Bottega lookalikes we've spotted on the high street:
Asos DESIGN, £32 Nero square toe mules in blue
Abigail Southan is our Senior Fashion Ecommerce Editor and has five years' experience as a writer and editor in the industry. Abigail has a BA in History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Fashion Journalism from Central Saint Martins. Abigail currently covers all things style and shopping across titles including Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Esquire and Red. On a daily basis, she helps readers buy better with how-to-wear guides, first-person product reviews and deep dives into the latest trends. Previously, Abigail has worked for The Sunday Times’ Style and Fabulous magazine as their first ecommerce writer and was a founding editor of Sun Selects. She has also written for Net-a-Porter, I-D, Man About Town, Wonderland and 1 Granary, and has interviewed the likes of Paris Hilton, Dua Lipa and Christopher Bailey. You can follow Abigail on Instagram at @abigailsouthan.
