Edward Buchanan on Being Written Out of Fashion History

Sep 26, 2025

Edward Buchanan, an American-born fashion designer and former Bottega Veneta design director, shares his journey from Ohio to the heart of Italian fashion. He reflects on his creative roots, the influence of New York's vibrant scene, and pivotal mentorship experiences. Buchanan emphasizes the importance of inclusivity in fashion, discussing the challenges faced by Black creatives in Italy and advocating for community building. He offers practical advice for young designers on honing technical skills and pursuing authentic narratives in their work.

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ANECDOTE

First Arrival In Italy Was Traumatic

Edward arrived in Italy and was detained at the airport because of his appearance, which shaped his expectations of working abroad.
He says that experience informed the creative and personal outlook he carried throughout his career.

ANECDOTE

Building Bottega's Ready‑to‑Wear From Scratch

Edward describes Bottega Veneta as a family-run company where Laura and Vittorio felt like parents to staff.
He recounts building ready-to-wear from scratch and learning technical knit and leather craft on the job.

INSIGHT

Factories Became A Third School

Edward learned luxury production in the factories, calling them his 'third school.'
He credits factory mentors for teaching technical knitwear and leather skills he lacked.

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Growing up in Ohio, Edward Buchanan always knew he would have a creative career.

That interest first led him to art school at CCAD in Cleveland and then to the Parsons School of Design in New York, where he juggled jobs in visual merchandising with school and the city’s inspiring, pulsating nightlife.

He got his big break in fashion when he was hired as the first design director at Bottega Veneta, which was then a small family-run business led by Vittorio and Lara Moltedo. He relocated to Italy in 1995 and has been building a professional career in fashion ever since, one of the few Black creatives in the Italian fashion system giving him a unique vantage point on the value of inclusivity.

In this episode of The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and CEO Imran Amed sits down with Edward to retrace the designer’s formative years, look back at his time at Bottega Veneta and quiz him on how young creatives and people of colour can succeed in fashion today.

Key Insights:

“When I was at Parsons, I excelled. I really loved being there and learning, the core. The pattern making, the cutting, the fabric … the technical aspects of design I was just obsessed with,” Buchanan says. Even his time at Bottega was a learning process, “I was really learning luxury goods while I was working at Bottega Veneta … I went in with taste and an idea of understanding what this brand is or potentially what this could be.”

After leaving Bottega Veneta, Buchanan wasn’t in contact with the brand for a long time; he felt his work went unrecognised. However, when he was included in the brand’s campaign to mark the 50th anniversary of the Intrecciato, a new relationship with the brand formed. “I thought that this is an honest way of saying you did that job, you were here, and we respect the work that you did.”

Despite strides made, Buchanan believes the fashion industry still has a way to go in regards to diversity, particularly in Italy. Buchanan says he will always advocate for people of colour, “I feel like if I'm not encouraged and charged to speak in first person about my experience and reach out my hand to the others that look like me or are like me … then there's no one else that's gonna do it.”

Buchanan encourages young creatives to not just study design, but the other aspects of fashion, too. “It’s necessary to be multifaceted as a creative and know the business … I always instill in my students [to] find the honesty in your design, find what is the thing that you really believe in.”

Additional Resources:

Black, Creative and Collaborating Across Generations

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