A new film by Massimiliano Bomba showcases the brand’s heritage, innovation, and preservation of a unique savoir-faire.
Bottega Veneta has just released a new film shot on location at its atelier in Montebello Vicentino, northern Italy. The short film was released on 17 April, giving viewers an unprecedented glimpse into the brand’s artisanal workshop, including its iconic intrecciato.
Directed by Massimiliano Bomba, the film, entitled Craft in Motion, evokes Bottega Veneta’s collective ethos and shared commitment to quiet luxury. Alternating exterior and interior shots reveal the atelier’s serene and luminous setting in a restored 19th-century villa, and the people and meticulous handmade processes behind each Bottega Veneta design.
With narration from Ruggero Negretto, one of the brand’s most senior artisans, the film shows work in progress on Cabat, Kalimero, Sardine, and other coveted Bottega Veneta bags – each meticulously cut, thread, stitched, and woven by hand. Detail shots emphasize a sense of time, with artisans counting days, not hours, to make one bag. Special attention is given over to the iconic Bottega Veneta intrecciato, the brand’s signature weaving, which serves as a “blank canvas” for experimentation in shape, colour, structure, and size.
For Creative Director Matthieu Blazy, exceptional craft, creativity, and the concept of “quiet power” are the essence of Bottega Veneta. “I think luxury is something you feel rather than see; it is much more personal and emotive for the person wearing the clothing than for those looking at them. I want the wearer to be empowered without the clothing being loud. It is style over fashion in its timelessness.”
Since his appointment as Creative Director, Blazy has taken Bottega Veneta’s honed leatherwork techniques in innovative and sensual new directions, including the knit leather shoes of his latest collection, print leather denim, and the seamless Kalimero that opened his debut show. “Craft is not a ‘trend’. Neither is it something that has to be improved. It is a timeless technology. The irregularities of handwork make each Bottega Veneta design unique. This for me is true luxury.”
