Tomas Maier
Former creative director of Bottega Veneta (2001 to 2018)
Tomas Maier is a German born designer who was creative director of Bottega Veneta for 17 years, from 2001 to 2018. Appointed when Tom Ford led creative direction at the Gucci Group, he built the Italian leather goods house into a major luxury brand, with revenues reported to have passed one billion dollars in 2012.
| Role | Creative director, Bottega Veneta, 2001 to 2018 |
|---|---|
| Own label | Tomas Maier, 1997 to 2018 |
| Previously | Hermès, Revillon, Sonia Rykiel, Guy Laroche |
| Education | Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, Paris |
| Born | 1957, Pforzheim |
Who is Tomas Maier?
Tomas Maier was born in Pforzheim, then in West Germany, in April 1957. He is best known for his long tenure as creative director of Bottega Veneta, the Italian house owned by Kering, where he developed a quiet, logo free style of luxury built on craftsmanship and the brand's woven leather. He left the house in June 2018.
Career
Maier attended a Waldorf school in Germany and trained at the school of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris. His career before Bottega Veneta took in several French houses:
- Guy Laroche, early in his career
- Sonia Rykiel, where he designed menswear for eight years
- Revillon, as creative director for four years
- Hermès, for nine years, designing women's ready to wear as well as leather goods and accessories
In 1997 he founded his own label with partner Andrew Preston, initially focused on swimwear, and opened an online boutique in 1998. In June 2001 Tom Ford appointed him creative director of Bottega Veneta. Kering invested in the Tomas Maier brand in 2013, and he created a one off resort collection with Uniqlo in 2018. In June 2018 he stepped down from Bottega Veneta after 17 years, and his own label ceased operations later that year.
Influence on the fashion business
Under Maier, Bottega Veneta's revenues tripled and passed one billion dollars in 2012. He expanded the house from leather goods into ready to wear, jewellery, furniture, fragrance and watches, and opened flagships in London, Paris, Milan and New York. In 2006 he founded La Scuola della Pelleteria, a leather goods school in Vicenza, to secure artisan skills for the future. His emphasis on discreet design and quality over visible branding anticipated the later market interest in so called quiet luxury.
Why it matters
Maier's tenure is one of the clearest examples of how a creative director can turn a niche artisan brand into a global luxury business without relying on logos. His investment in training also highlighted the importance of protecting craft skills within the supply chain, an issue that remains central to Italian luxury manufacturing. His years at Hermès and Sonia Rykiel before Bottega Veneta also show how deep experience inside established houses can prepare a designer to lead one.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Tomas Maier?
Tomas Maier is a German born fashion designer who served as creative director of Bottega Veneta from 2001 to 2018. He previously worked for Hermès, Revillon and Sonia Rykiel.
What happened to the Tomas Maier brand?
After Maier left Bottega Veneta in June 2018, his eponymous label, in which Kering had invested in 2013, announced it would cease operations by the end of that year.