Photographer Peter Fraser has collaborated with Bottega Veneta on a new series of 27 photographs exploring Venice, capturing both its iconic landmarks—canals, marble floors, Byzantine façades—and its overlooked details like construction cranes, discarded plaster casts, and beached boats. The images are juxtaposed with Bottega Veneta's intrecciato bags from Louise Trotter's first collection, nodding to the fashion house's long history in the Veneto region. In an interview, Fraser discusses his approach to photographing a city burdened by its own legacy, emphasizing the need to distance himself from preconceptions and to shoot based on feeling rather than appearance.
This article matters because it represents a growing trend of luxury fashion brands commissioning fine-art photographers to create editorial content that blurs the line between commercial promotion and artistic practice. By partnering with a respected artist like Peter Fraser—a contemporary of Martin Parr and William Eggleston—Bottega Veneta positions itself as a patron of visual culture, while Fraser gains access to a global platform. The piece also underscores how even the most photographed cities can yield fresh perspectives when approached with emotional intensity and a willingness to see the mundane alongside the sublime.