Bottega Veneta is so tasteful that even when it uses Beyoncé’s Crazy in Love anthem as the backing track for its show, it finds a classical piano version (and I don’t mean one with electronic twangy bits by Escala; honestly it was quite beautiful).

It follows, then, that when you see a towel dress bobbing down the catwalk (the towel dress is another seedling gradually taking root as a trend), it’s a towel dress like no other; sublimely made and possibly with a twist of chiffon fluttering against the collarbones.

Bottega Veneta is always sublimely made; it relies on a genre of deceptively understated workmanship to speak as loudly for it as logos and monograms do for other brands. This collection, however, could be something of a challenge.

The shapes (knee-length shirtwaisters, sheath dresses, halternecks, one-shoulder tunics and wrap jackets with cropped trouser suits) were undoubtedly some of the best of the season so far; grown-up, and sophisticated, classic yet modern.

But an uncompromising palette (pale limestone with the occasional burst of yellow or purple) combined with the designer Tomas Maier’s enthusiastic use of cotton (however fine) made a lot of the outfits look like toiles. Beautiful toiles, it must be said. but still toiles. Of course, the models looked ravishing, with their nude faces, burgundy lips and ballerina hair. Models always do when they’re pared back to their natural bones. The rest of us need a little more help. And a toile, even a beautiful one, may not be enough.

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