This year, the Bottega Veneta brand celebrates half a century since its founding in Vicenza - for the sake of this, it was decided to unite the men's and women's collections and hold them during the Women's Fashion Week at the end of September in Milan. A special place was chosen - the Milan Academy of Fine Arts of Brera. The choice fell on her for a reason: as a company that seeks to preserve traditions for the future, Bottega Veneta not only opened its own craft school in 2006, where tanners are trained, but now also supports the educational program of the academy by providing scholarships to gifted students.
It cannot be said that since its inception, the brand has been somewhere in the margins of fashion: the famous intrecciato leather weave was used for accessories in the 1970s, in the same years the first boutiques were opened in New York and Beverly Hills. In the 1980s, Andy Warhol filmed the video for the brand, and a bag made of those intertwined strips of leather appeared in the hands of actress Lauren Hutton in the movie American Gigolo. But only with the advent of creative director Thomas Mayer, the existence of Bottega Veneta on the map of modern luxury brands became extremely noticeable. In 2001, he created the first modern collection of bags and accessories, among which the Cabat satchel was introduced, which is still among the brand's obvious bestsellers. And since 2002 Bottega Venetabegan to constantly show collections on the catwalk.
Bottega Veneta fall-winter 2016/17 collection © Bottega Veneta press service
Bottega Veneta does not put the logo on the front surface, but hides it inside, on a thin strip of silk, and can only embroider on clothes a butterfly to match the fabric, another of the brand's trademarks. This concept of clothes and accessories that do not scream about themselves, but make the life of their owner cozy and comfortable, despite the past years, seems more relevant than ever today. Thomas Mayer himself is sure of this.
- Has the Bottega Veneta client changed in your opinion since you were the creative director of the brand?
“I believe that the concept of luxury has remained the same, although when I joined the house, it lost its identity and roots. So I relied on four of our cornerstones - outstanding craftsmanship, timeless, innovative design, functionality and materials of the highest quality. Once these principles were established, I set about transforming Bottega Veneta into a full-fledged luxury brand. We follow this philosophy today.
I don't think I would define specific women or men who wear Bottega Veneta. In general, these are people who are deeply aware of their values and priorities, but they do not need to openly demonstrate them to everyone.
- If “client's initials are enough” for clothes and accessories, then how can you recognize Bottega Veneta without touching the item itself or not seeing the famous woven details?
- The credo of the house - “When your initials are enough” - comes from the seventies and speaks of our belief that Bottega Veneta's handwriting is his skill. When I first started, this motto was used less and less, but we revived it. I wanted us to return exactly to the state that he reflected.
Build a brand focused on the product itself. Bring it to the fore. These were my goals.
- Do you have any favorite fabrics and why do you like them the most?
- We work exclusively with materials of the highest quality. I have a team of people who are constantly researching and developing new types of them. And we like to adapt the materials for their intended use. Take, for example, specially washed lamb skin: we can make a bag out of it, or we can use it for a jacket. And depending on its role - sometimes it has to be tougher, sometimes easier, or fall in different ways - we will play with the development of the material to suit its function.
- After 15 years as Creative Director of Bottega Veneta, has your brand perception changed in any way?
- I think my vision of the brand has not changed since I joined it, although it has definitely evolved. With what we have created over the past 15 years, we are now in a completely different position. But this is still a challenge, as if we are taking the brand to a level that is in a sense unexpected: if someone says “this has never been done before,” then we have something to do.
I love to look back at everything that we were able to build. And I could not be more proud of everything that we have managed to achieve in cooperation with the permanent employees of the company - those who are fully committed to the cause. Therefore, I boldly look into the future and imagine all that we will be able to create, moving forward.
- Should clothes of different seasons fit together? And what is most important when creating a new collection?
“The key to our success lies in style - individual, timeless and enduring in terms of our fundamental values, which it respects. We are proud of the place we occupy today, but we continue to constantly push ourselves to put our brand one step higher, to look for innovative technologies and new materials, while avoiding obvious bright trends.
In my opinion, all Bottega Veneta products are the result of a union of creativity and craftsmanship. Items can be luxurious - and seductive on a deeply personal level - while matching house codes.
Bottega Veneta fall-winter 2016/17 collection © Bottega Veneta press service
- What do you think Bottega Veneta should be associated with?
- Collaboration is at the heart of Bottega Veneta. Everything that we produce is the fruit of our joint work, which concerns me as a creative director, leading a team of designers and the craftsmen who develop our products. We are very proud of the artisans of the atelier, which is located in the commune of Montebello Vicentino, in the Italian region of Venice, from where Bottega Veneta originates. I love the feeling that Bottega Veneta has skillful hands behind it - who come together to create our products.
The price of the Made in Italy mark for Bottega Veneta lies in the commitment to the craft and its preservation, which is natural for the brand. Continuing tradition and exceptional know-how are essential in order to produce beautiful pieces - and only in Venice, the home of the brand. All over the world there are masters who possess the skills unique for their culture, but I am sure that this exceptional know-how cannot be found anywhere else. Craftsmanship connects history and tradition and defines the process itself: with this in mind, in 2006 we founded our school - La Scuola dei Maestri Pellettieri di Bottega Veneta - where experienced artisans work hand in hand with apprentices, imparting precious knowledge to them and ensuring the continuity of tradition.>
