Bottega Veneta Resort 2015 Campaign

Discover Bottega Veneta’s Resort 2015 campaign featuring Tilda Lindstam and Janis Ancens, shot by Ryan McGinley in the New York Botanical Garden, a poetic vision of elegance in nature. Bottega Veneta’s Resort 2015 campaign arrives like a breath of fresh air, delicate, intimate, and quietly evocative. Under the artistic direction of Tomas Maier, the campaign features models Tilda Lindstam and Janis Ancens in a series of ethereal images captured by celebrated photographer Ryan McGinley. Shot against the lush, sprawling backdrop of the New York Botanical Garden, the campaign signals a return to nature, purity, and instinctual elegance. It’s a fresh interpretation of the house’s DNA: understated luxury elevated by emotional resonance.

The Photographer’s Vision: Ryan McGinley in a New Light
Best known for his dreamy, youthful portraits of free spirits in motion, Ryan McGinley brings a unique perspective to fashion photography. For this campaign, McGinley stepped away from his usual kinetic energy to explore a more tranquil and contemplative mood. The result is a collection of sun-dappled images that feel both spontaneous and cinematic.

Instead of highly staged fashion dramatics, the Resort 2015 campaign leans into the quiet tension between subject and setting. McGinley captures Tilda and Janis not as distant models but as sentient beings interacting with their environment, pausing in archways of vines, gazing into the distance, or stepping softly over mossy stone.
 

The Location: New York Botanical Garden as a Living Backdrop
The New York Botanical Garden, with its sweeping greenhouses, manicured pathways, and wild floral zones, sets the tone for the collection's refined romanticism. Unlike tropical beaches or minimalist studios often favored in resort campaigns, this lush urban oasis adds depth and story. Here, garments interact with filtered light, leafy shadows, and the rhythm of nature. The choice of location underscores Maier’s belief that clothing should inhabit the world, not dominate it.
The natural setting creates a quiet counterpoint to the inherent luxury of the clothes, drawing the viewer into an introspective space where texture and movement speak louder than logos.
 

Models as Muses: Tilda Lindstam and Janis Ancens
Tilda Lindstam brings an effortless elegance to the campaign. With her strong yet graceful features and statuesque presence, she embodies the Bottega woman—self-possessed, grounded, and quietly powerful. Dressed in fluid dresses, soft knits, and tailored outerwear, Tilda doesn’t just model the clothes; she breathes life into them. Her gaze is often turned away from the camera, as though caught mid-thought, lending the campaign a diary-like intimacy.
Janis Ancens, known for his delicate masculinity and nuanced expressions, is the perfect counterpart. Whether leaning against ivy-covered walls or strolling beside Tilda, his presence feels contemplative rather than performative. Together, they create a visual narrative that eschews overt sensuality for subtle connection.

The Collection: Bottega Veneta Resort 2015
Tomas Maier’s Resort 2015 designs reflect his consistent commitment to timeless refinement. The collection is filled with expertly constructed silhouettes, sumptuous textures, and nuanced color palettes hallmarks of the Bottega Veneta aesthetic.

Lightness and Movement:
Silk dresses billow slightly in the breeze, their forms unstructured but never shapeless. There’s an emphasis on comfort and freedom, but without sacrificing elegance. Some dresses feature origami-like folds or soft pleating, drawing inspiration from the organic shapes around them.
Tailoring Meets Ease:
Lightweight jackets, soft suiting, and belted coats make an appearance, lending structure to the otherwise flowing collection. These pieces feel appropriate for travel, transitions, and modern movement.

Colors from Nature:
The palette draws heavily from the surroundings—sage green, dusty rose, soft sand, terracotta, cloud gray, and inky navy. These hues feel native to the garden setting, blending into the landscape rather than competing with it.
Textures and Craftsmanship:
True to Bottega’s legacy, textures are central to the story. Intricate weaves, hand-finished hems, and buttery soft leathers offer visual depth. A particular standout includes a dress with subtle basketweave detailing that echoes the brand’s signature intrecciato technique.
Minimal Accessories, Maximum Impact

Accessories are used sparingly but effectively. Slim leather belts, flat sandals, and a few signature bagslikely the Knot clutch or a softened version of the Cabat tote—add to the narrative of low-key sophistication.

Mood and Tone: Quiet, Romantic, Unassuming
What stands out most in the Resort 2015 campaign is its subtle emotional temperature. There is no urgency, no artifice, no attempt to shout. Instead, the campaign is built on pause and breath, on a sense of being, rather than doing. This is a sharp contrast to the heavily stylized fashion campaigns dominating the industry at the time. Maier, in collaboration with McGinley, proves that there is space and hunger for softness and sincerity in luxury fashion. The campaign doesn’t sell a fantasy of jet-setting or high society. It sells a feeling of solitude, introspection, and emotional resonance. The clothes are not props but vessels of mood.

Art Direction and Brand Identity: Bottega’s Ongoing Evolution
Tomas Maier had, by this point in his tenure, firmly reestablished Bottega Veneta’s identity as a house of quiet power. The Resort 2015 campaign continues this evolution, reinforcing the brand’s core values: discretion, craftsmanship, and timeless beauty. There’s no visible branding in the campaign, in keeping with the brand’s iconic “When your own initials are enough” mantra.

The decision to collaborate with Ryan McGinley, a photographer not traditionally linked to high fashion campaigns, signals a desire to open new doors without abandoning heritage. It's a subtle risk, and one that pays off in tone and texture.

Reception and Legacy: A Breath of Fresh Air
Fashion editors and critics applauded the campaign’s restraint and poetry. It stood out among a season of neon brights, aggressive styling, and maximalist aesthetics. Industry insiders praised the way it captured the essence of resort wear, not as flashy holiday gear, but as a state of transition, travel, and lightness.

For Bottega Veneta, the campaign helped strengthen the brand's identity at a time when luxury houses were becoming increasingly homogenized. It reinforced the value of elegance without excess, and emotion without spectacle.

Bottega Veneta’s Resort 2015 campaign is more than a showcase of beautiful clothing, it's an immersive, visual meditation on nature, craftsmanship, and emotional simplicity. In pairing Tomas Maier’s soft-spoken designs with Ryan McGinley’s painterly lens and the botanical serenity of New York’s hidden gem, the campaign tells a story of renewal, introspection, and the luxury of being quietly seen. It’s a campaign that lingers in the mind—not because it demands attention, but because it earns it.