Creative Director Tomas Maier designed the Bottega Veneta Pre-Fall 2018 collection as a bridge between the Spring offering he presented in Milan and the Fall that will be shown in New York in early February.

Maier was set up at a studio in the far reaches of Red Hook, Brooklyn, to shoot his Pre-Fall lineup for the label. The collection features pale makeup tones of Spring, only minus the intense embellishments that defined that collection. Washed georgette slips and sheer lace dresses layered over trompe l’oeil–printed shifts struck a delicate, romantic note. He had early summer weddings in mind when he made them.

The second and third groupings, which will arrive in stores later in the season, introduced bolder colors and lively prints to the story. With no trousers in the lineup, and the legginess of the collection was emphasized by the high-heeled patent pumps he showed with each look. But these sections were less about dresses than they were about ensemble dressing: a sleeveless ’60s-ish plaid shift topped by a reversible color-blocked, double-faced cashmere coat; a paper leather skirtsuit, backed in silk jersey so it feels good against the skin; a yellow checked coat and blue checked skirt combination.

The pulled-together, spiffy attitude came across as quite American—a fitting attribute considering the brand’s big investment on Madison Avenue.