The current spate of greenwashing on designer clothing racks has nothing to do with the environment and everything to do with trends trickling down from the international runways, as Meryl Streep memorably explained in the 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada.
That dress you are seeing at your best friend’s wedding, that trouser suit on the morning commute and that blazer on your social media feed, it’s not emerald, it’s not apple, it’s not celery, it’s actually Bottega green, and it first appeared on the runways back in 2020.
A Bottega Veneta bag and oversized coat spotted on the street at Paris Fashion Week in March.Credit:Getty
Inspired by the Italian luxury label Bottega Veneta, this green with more depth than apple and more punch than emerald, was sent down the runway by former creative director Daniel Lee for spring/summer 2021 and has inspired labels such as Carla Zampatti, Aje and Cue to deliver their own versions.
“Bottega is owning that green right now, undoubtedly,” says Eva Galambos, the owner of Parlour X boutique in Sydney, which stocks the label. “Everything from shoes, to bathrobes, have been selling strongly for 18 months. It is a beautiful green. It is an easy green, and it now belongs to them.”
It can belong to you too, if you’re willing to spend $4645 on a padded handbag or $1765 on black leather boots with a chunky Bottega green rubber sole.
“In the same way that you instantly know what Tiffany blue, Valentino red and Hermès orange are, you now have Bottega green and it’s here to stay. It’s already become a classic.”
Melbourne designer Effie Kats tested her variation on the colour of the moment at Australian Fashion Week, wearing an oversized coat in a kissing cousin to the shade described as Kelly green which draws its name from the popular Irish surname, first appearing in print in 1917. This is not to be confused with the Kelly bag from Hermès named after Hollywood star and Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly.
The Green Machine: Designer Effie Kats at Australian Fashion Week wearing her oversized Cali coat; Fleur Egan at Australian Fashion Week in Tory Burch; Sonia Lyson in Dulcie London coat, Berlin.Credit:Getty
“Before Bottega Veneta, Kelly green wasn’t a shade that anyone touched,” Kats says. “Emerald green was far more popular, but people want something stronger that stands out today. Customers are tired of playing it safe. I knew I had to have a coat ready for Australian Fashion Week. I like to stand out.”
