Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta is a luxury leather goods and fashion house originating from the Veneto region of Italy. Founded in 1966 by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro, the brand initially specialized in leather craftsmanship and has since expanded into ready-to-wear, footwear, jewelry, accessories, and home décor. The name “Bottega Veneta” translates to “Venetian Workshop” in Italian. Its signature design elements include the iconic Intrecciato leather weave and minimalist, logo-free aesthetics.

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· Brand History ·

The founders of Bottega Veneta were Italian entrepreneurs Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro. In 1966, they established a leather workshop in Vicenza, located in the Veneto region, giving birth to the brand Bottega Veneta – meaning “Venetian Workshop”.

In the mid-1970s, Bottega Veneta introduced the Intrecciato leather weaving technique, which became widely used in its handbag designs. One of the most notable pieces was the rounded box clutch introduced in 1978. In 2001, this bag was redesigned with a small leather rope closure, earning it the name “Knot” handbag.

As the brand gained recognition, it adopted the slogan “When your own initials are enough”, emphasizing its logo-free design philosophy that focuses on personal expression rather than visible branding.

By the 1980s, Bottega Veneta had attracted high-profile clients such as former U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Iranian Empress Farah Pahlavi, and renowned artist Andy Warhol, who even created a promotional short film for the brand.

Thanks to celebrity endorsements, Bottega Veneta’s reputation continued to rise. However, in the 1990s, after the retirement of Taddei and Zengiaro, Vittorio & Laura Moltedo took over and attempted to shift the brand identity by introducing logos, but these efforts did not yield significant success.

With declining performance, the company was acquired in 2001 by the Gucci Group (now Kering) for $156 million, and German designer Tomas Maier was appointed as the new creative director.

Under Tomas Maier, Bottega Veneta launched the Cabat handbag—named after the French word for “basket,” *Cabas*. This design featured two seamless leather panels woven together into a shopping-bag shape, without any visible branding, marking a return to the brand’s original values.

In the following year, Maier launched the “Art of Collaboration” project, inviting renowned photographers and contemporary artists to collaborate on seasonal product campaigns. Participants included Antony Armstrong-Jones, Annie Leibovitz, and Robert Longo.

Entering the 21st century, Bottega Veneta expanded its offerings, launching women’s wear, men’s wear, jewelry, fragrances, and interior furniture. In 2006, the brand founded the La Scuola della Pelletteria, a training school dedicated to cultivating future generations of leather artisans.

With rapid growth in sales and store numbers, Bottega Veneta opened a new workshop in Montebello Vicentino, in the Veneto region of Italy in 2013, relocating its training school to the first floor. That same year, the first Maison store debuted on Via Sant’Andrea in Milan. By the end of 2017, Bottega Veneta operated 270 directly managed boutiques worldwide.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the brand and 15 years under Tomas Maier, Bottega Veneta held a fashion show at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan in 2016, reinterpreting classic handbags like the Lauren 1980 collection. Originally designed for American actress Lauren Hutton for the 1980 film “American Gigolo,” this bag made a stylish comeback.

In July 2018, Tomas Maier left the brand, and Daniel Lee was appointed as the new creative director.

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· Key Milestones ·

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· Signature Collections ·