BOTTEGA VENETA – SPRING SUMMER 2018 – Milano Fashion Week 2017
You may love their signature woven leather bags, but do you know the story behind one of fashion’s most prestigious houses?
Bottega Veneta was established in 1966 by Michele Taddei in Vicenza. The name Bottega Veneta means “Venetian shop” in Italian. Bottega Veneta prided themselves on craftsmanship. They developed a leather weaving technique called intrecciato that remains a signature of the brand.
Bottega Veneta’s popularity soared because unlike its rivals, Bottega Veneta’s designs were discreet with no logo. It was the company’s motto “When your own initials are enough”, which truly encapsulated what the brand stood for.
Michele Taddei departed from the brand in the seventies. Vittorio and Laura Moltedo (Laura had previously been married to Taddei) took over the brand. Sales declined and so the brand moved into more trend driven designs, which also included the unheard of stamp of their logo.
By the nineties the brand was in such a bad state it seemed like all was lost. However, the Gucci Group acquired the brand in 2001 and pointed Creative Director to Tomas Maier. Maier’s vision was to restore the brand to its former glory. He started with the removal of all visible logos from the brand’s products, made the signature intrecciato weave a prominent feature on all leather goods and took the brand’s focus solely back to artisanal production.
Ever since the brand has grown into the fashion house it was always meant to be. Expanding its territories into fragrances, sunglasses and even furniture.
Bottega Veneta recognised the importance of artisanal craftsmanship and the declining number of master leatherworkers in Italy. Thus they opened up a school to train and support future generations of leather artisans.
Brought you by:
Milano Fashion Tv
member of
I.F.N. – International Fashion Network
