Bottega Veneta: Intrecciato Insignt
Posted Mar 10, 2010
I have always admired the beauty and sophistication of Bottega Veneta’s exquisitely woven leather bags, so much so that a few years back I purchased my first one at full retail in New York. Let me tell you, it was a splurge, but well worth it for a first, because it has since become a staple in my collection, coming out especially often during the Spring and Summer months. Considering that in the coming week, we’ll be be selling couple of their gorgeous and hard to find signature pieces, I thought it would be great to share the background of the brand with you and take a closer look into how “Intrecciato” came to be Bottega Veneta’s indispensable hallmark.
As some of you may know, Bottega Veneta has been a part of the Gucci group since 2001, but the house itself was founded in 1966 in Venice Italy. In fact, Bottega Veneta stands for “Venetian atelier” and rightfully so, since and all of their bags, jewelry and more, are hand made by artisans in Italy. This is comforting in a day and age where brands are increasingly manufacturing their goods in countries with lower labor costs to remain competitive. There is that undeniable aura of being “Made in Italy” that I think in the long run will distinguish the true luxury houses from the luxury masses. Bottega Veneta, an exclusive brand on the higher end of the luxury scale, has become renown for its woven leather technique called Intrecciato. How did this marvel come about? Well, it was initially a way of making their very thin supple leather a lot more durable. They used leather so fine because it was best to sewn by hand and under a manually operated sewing machine.
In the 80’s, Bottega Veneta was very hot with the jet-set crowd, including Andy Warhol, particularly because it was a “no-logo” luxury goods brand. Now you may think that Warhol and “no-logo” are oxymorons, but I can imagine that “nameless” aspect of the brand appealed to Warhol’s fascination with consumerist society.
During that era, Bottega Veneta’s tag line was “When your own initials are enough”. Sufficed to say that while the “no-logo” premise still remains today in a literal sense, the Intrecciato has become as recognizable as a CC or GG canvas. Yet, one can’t deny that the BV weave exudes a much more subtle and sophisticated flair, and speaks of the refined taste of the person who wears it. Oprah Whinfrey, Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Katie Holmes and Renée Zellweger are just a few fans of Bottega Veneta bags, and who can blame them! Every fashionista should have at least one in her closet. If you’ve been dying for the opportunity to own a BV without breaking the bank, keep your eyes open as we’ll have a couple of their buttery soft Intrecciato bags in stock very soon, for a fraction of retail!