Bottega Veneta (Venetian Shop) was established in 1966 in Vicenza, Italy by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro. Crafting artisanal leather goods, the brand developed a distinctive leather weaving design, the “Intrecciato” (intertwined in Italian), which instantly became Bottega Veneta’s iconic look. The brand’s logo only appeared discreetly on the inside of its products.
This basket-weaving technique was really just a workaround to a technical problem: At the start, the leather-goods company didn’t have sewing machines capable of accommodating thicker swathes of leather, so thin leather was used—but in order to make Bottega bags more durable, the leather was woven at the diagonal.
THE VENETIAN SHOP EXPANDS
In 2001, the company was bought by the Gucci group. In 2006, with the help of its then Creative Director, Tomas MaierTomas Maier (born 1957) is a German born designer trained at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris. His early professional experience includes designing for several international luxury good Houses such as Guy Laroche, Sonia Rykiel and Hermès. Maier was appointed creative director of Bottega Veneta in 2001, a position he held up to 2018. During his time, he oversaw the company’s extension, adding new flagship stores in London, Paris, Milan and New York. , Bottega Veneta opened “La Scuola dei Maestri Pellettieri di Bottega Veneta” (school of leather craftsmanship). The school also maintains a well-established collaboration with the University Iuav of Venice.
In January 2021, Bottega Veneta created a buzz in the luxury industry by unexpectedly shutting down all of its social media accounts (its Instagram account had 2.5 million followers) The move was followed by the creation of a digital journal, Issued by Bottega, relying on its clients, influencers, collaborators, and fans to spread the news.
Bottega Veneta currently operates 268 stores for 3,754 employees
In 2014, Maier and Bottega Veneta partnered with the Japanese publication Casa BRUTUS and launched an initiative to raise awareness of the potential destruction of numerous significant Modernist buildings in Japan due to economics, politics and the preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
WEDGES: THE ITALIAN JOB
As their name suggests, wedge shoes have an intricate sole that resembles a wedge, a simple tool with two edges, one blunt and another pointy.
Italian master designer Salvatore Ferragamo is credited with the creation and introduction of the wedge shoe to the Italian market during the 1930s. In the 1940s, when economic sanctions against Italy, along with the rationing of raw materials, made the use of rubber and steel difficult, the designer started experimenting with easier to find materials, such as Sardinian cork. Wedge shoes in time acquired thicker and thicker soles following the lead of the platform shoe with the unisex 1970’s wedge platform designs verging on the outrageous and the, should we say, “disco”.
These stylish Bottega Veneta lace up shoes carry on the Italian tradition for wedges, in this case high heeled ones. While the leather straps that have being worked in the composition are employed to secure the foot at ankle hight, the lowest part is held steady with white and yellow bands of weaved straw leaving just a tiny hint of the toes visible. This particular pair tends to remind us how a “humble” material such as straw can become part of a footwear that emits luxury.