Senta Simond Flashes Adu Jobe and Damaris Goddrie for Issued by Bottega #1

In January 2021, shortly after Bottega Veneta’s Creative Director Daniel Lee’s chose the international dance venue of Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London for his SS2021 private viewing of the new collection, the KeringGroup brand existed social media.

The decision was considered to be radical, given Bottega Veneta’s status as a scalding hot fashion house on social media.

“There is a mood of playground bullying on social media which I don’t really like, I wanted to do something joyful instead. We are not just a brand, we are a team of people who work together, and I don’t want to collude in an atmosphere that feels negative,” Lee told The Guardian about his decision.

Bottega Veneta actually achieved a 4.8% positive growh rate in 2020m juxtaposed against a 21.5% sales decrease at Gucci. The brand was a rare one not savaged by COVID-19. We can only assume that brand growth would have been even stronger in a non-pandemic world.

“Social media represents the homogenisation of culture,” the designer continued with the Guardian in advance of Wednesday’s launch of the magazine. “Everyone sees the same stream of content. A huge amount of thought goes into what I do, and social media oversimplifies it.”

Enter IssuedbyBottega, the brand’s new digital quarterly magazine. Issue is an audiovisual magazine with fashion photography, music and video. There’s music but no text — and that includes fashion story credits. Just sayin’.

Photographer Senta Simond [IG], Webber Represents, works with casting director Ben Grimes [IG] to capturea Adu Jobe [IG] and Damaris Goddrie [IG] in a fashion story for Issued by Bottega #1. / Hair by Massimo Gamba; makeup by Katja Wilhelmus