Louise Trotter, the British designer who recently led a creative renaissance at Carven, is preparing to take the helm at Bottega Veneta. The move is one of the most significant luxury fashion appointments of 2024.
Trotter’s departure from Carven comes after a remarkably short, but impactful tenure that began in February 2023. Her debut collection for Spring/Summer 2024, shown last September during Paris Fashion Week, showcased her talent for sophisticated design while honoring the brand’s heritage.
Her final runway presentation for the French house took place in September, when she presented the Spring/Summer 2025 collection from the brand’s historic location near the Champs-Élysées. Carven CEO Shawna Tao acknowledged Trotter’s significant contributions, noting that she “successfully brought Carven back to the fashion stage.” Her final Carven collection is Pre-Fall 2025, which will be shown in January.
At Bottega Veneta, CEO Leo Rongone was enthusiastic about the new Creative director: “Her aesthetic seamlessly combines exquisite design with sublime craft and her commitment to cultural advocacy aligns beautifully with our brand vision.”
The Sunderland-born designer brings a wealth of experience to her new role, having worked with many prestigious brands throughout her career. After graduating from Newcastle Polytechnic, Trotter worked at contemporary British label Whistles before moving to the United States to design for Calvin Klein and later Gap and Tommy Hilfiger. She returned to London for a stint at Jigsaw, and then served as Creative director of Joseph from 2009 to 2018. Her nine-year leadership at Joseph demonstrated her talent for revitalizing brands. In 2018, Trotter made history as the first female Creative director of Lacoste.
“I am deeply honored to join Bottega Veneta as Creative director,” said Trotter. “The House’s storied legacy of artistry and innovation is truly inspiring, and I am excited to contribute to its future and celebrate its timeless vision.”
Her first collection for Bottega Veneta will debut during Milan Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2025 season. Meanwhile, Carven plans to unveil a new business model, with Tao explaining: “We start to create a new model to drive the development of the brand. This model will invoke the spirit of [Madame] Carven to truly build ‘an excellent French fashion house with a democratic spirit.’ Further details will be released in 2025.”
