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Vogue Singapore
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
From American Gigolo to Princess Diana—Bottega Veneta celebrates 50 Years of its iconic Intrecciato bags
It's a big year for Bottega Veneta. In September, the newly-installed creative director Louise Trotter will debut her vision for the future of the Italian label. Before that though Bottega Veneta is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Intrecciato weave, which was introduced a little less than a decade after the brand was founded in Vincenza, Veneto, and quickly established its reputation for craft and creativity. 'In 1960s Italy, the market was dominated by heavy, stiff, and structured handbags,' recalls Barbara Zanin, Bottega Veneta's Director of Craft and Heritage. '[Our] designs were characterised by their great softness—the bags were fluid, supple, simple. The introduction of the Intrecciato gave the bags a fluidity, almost like a fabric.' The first Bottega Veneta ad featured in Vogue's March 1975 issue. Courtesy of Bottega Veneta The Intrecciato technique utilises long leather fettucce, or thin strips, that are woven into a leather base with slits in a diagonal pattern, instead of the more common vertical pattern. Much like cutting a piece of fabric on the bias, this technical development allowed for a softer structure. Its unique appearance became Bottega Veneta's calling card; eschewing the logo-driven trends of other luxury labels, in its first advertising campaigns it boasted: 'People know a Bottega the minute they see one. So we put our name on the inside only.' With Paul Schrader's 1980 film American Gigolo , the Intrecciato bag became an indelible part of the fashion pop culture canon when Lauren Hutton's character carried a burgundy clutch in the crook of her arm. The bag was appropriately re-released as the 'Lauren Clutch' in 2017, and it's since become a favorite of celebrities—and the not-so-famous—who want to show off their good taste in a subtle way; although these days the Intrecciato is as easily recognizable as anything with logos on it. Tina Turner carrying her all-white Intrecciato at Spago, 1984. Getty Brooke Shields at the Death Becomes Her premiere, 1992. Getty There is a world of possibility within Intrecciato. In 2002, when Tomas Maier was the creative director at the brand, he introduced the Cabat bag, which was entirely hand-woven on a wooden frame, a process that was named Intreccio (the Intrecciato utilises a needle for the weaving process). Further experiments with different types of leather have yielded other signature styles; Zanin mentions 'a padded fettucce for a more plush appearance,' or an 'an ultra-soft nappa leather that retains the impression of movements and folds of the weaving process to create a specially textured look.' Madonna at the Los Angeles premiere of Truth or Dare, 1991. Getty There is a world of possibility within Intrecciato. In 2002, when Tomas Maier was the creative director at the brand, he introduced the Cabat bag, which was entirely hand-woven on a wooden frame, a process that was named Intreccio (the Intrecciato utilizes a needle for the weaving process). Further experiments with different types of leather have yielded other signature styles; Zanin mentions 'a padded fettucce for a more plush appearance,' or an 'an ultra-soft nappa leather that retains the impression of movements and folds of the weaving process to create a specially textured look.' To ensure that a passion for craft continues to be at the heart of Bottega Veneta, the house launched the Accademia Labor et Ingenium in 2023, a school that instructs the next generation of artisans on the intricacies of their labor. 'A central pillar of the school is a training program for 50 students a year, with guaranteed employment at Bottega Veneta on completion of the course,' explains Zanin, who helped establish it. 'It's our responsibility to ensure the transmission of our artisanal savoir-faire.' Bottega Veneta's first Intrecciato bag from 1975. A close-up at the Intrecciato process. Matteo de Mayda The Intreccio technique, meanwhile, is all made by hand. Matteo de Mayda The bags are woven on a wooden frame. Matteo de Mayda This story was originally published on
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Bottega Veneta Celebrates 50 Years of Intrecciato Weave With Campaign Including Julianne Moore and Stray Kids' I.N
MILAN — Bottega Veneta is not letting the 50th anniversary of its signature Intrecciato leather weave go unnoticed: The Italian luxury brand launched Thursday a dedicated campaign called 'Craft Is Our Language.' 'For 50 years, Intrecciato has embodied Bottega Veneta's craft and creativity,' Leo Rongone, chief executive officer of the Italian brand, told WWD. 'Season after season, it has both endured and evolved, finding new expressions in color, scale, size and texture. It is the ultimate synthesis of our artisanal knowledge and aesthetic imagination.' More from WWD Here's Why Tracee Ellis Ross Used a Height-illusion Styling Hack in Bottega Veneta Boots for Kendrick Lamar's Concert in Los Angeles Valentino Chief Communication Officer Tanja Ruhnke Departs Brand Mary J. Blige Goes All-pink in Bottega Veneta Thigh-high Boots and Silk Emilio Pucci Look for New York Knicks Game Halftime Show Photographed by Jack Davison and choreographed by Lenio Kaklea, the campaign celebrates the brand's creativity and manual craftsmanship — literally shining a light on the hands and their gestures as a universal language connecting people across generations, cultures, backgrounds and contexts. While Bottega Veneta teased on social media closeup images of a few hands, there's much more behind the campaign that WWD can exclusively reveal. The company has enrolled an expansive group of talents from the art, film, fashion, literature, music and sports industries and artisans for the still images and short films. These include singer-songwriter and record producer Jack Antonoff; director Dario Argento; designer Edward Buchanan, who was design director of the house from 1995 to 2000, introducing its first ready-to-wear collection; artist and sculptor Barbara Chase-Riboud; singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry; filmmaker and record producer Dave Free; Lauren Hutton, a friend of the house who famously carried an Intrecciato clutch in the 1980 film 'American Gigolo'; brand ambassadors Julianne Moore, Shu Qi and Stray Kids South Korean vocalist I.N; actors Troy Kotsur, Vicky Krieps, Terrance Lau and Rie Miyazawa; tennis player Lorenzo Musetti; writer Zadie Smith; singer-actress Thanaerng; recording artist and producer Tyler Okonma and conductor Lorenzo Viotti. 'At its heart, Intrecciato is an act of encounter, interweaving, and exchange. With this campaign, we celebrate our signature craft and its spirit of dialogue — between hand and heart, maker and wearer, past and present,' said Rongone. Weaving together the leather strips is seen as a metaphor and a symbol of interconnectedness, reflecting the collaborative ethos of the brand, which was founded in Vicenza by a collective of artisans in 1966, and is now controlled by Kering. 'Intrecciato is distinguished by its honed proportions, diagonal arrangement, and the exceptional quality of its leather,' continued Rongone. 'As a no-logo house, our signature weave holds special significance. It is the visual, symbolic, and tactile identifier of Bottega Veneta.' The images are presented in both individual and paired compositions and, in the short films, Bottega Veneta artisans converse with Chase-Riboud, Hutton, Thanaerng, and Lau. 'While Western discourse tends to distinguish between artist and artisan, 'Craft Is Our Language' honors the shared etymological root of both words, derived from the Latin ars, meaning art, skill, craft,' stated the company. Through the years, the brand's creative directors have worked with the Intrecciato weave, from Buchanan, Laura Moltedo and Tomas Maier to Daniel Lee and Matthieu Blazy, who exited last December, succeeded by Louise Trotter. The campaign was conceptualized and photographed in the interim, as Trotter's chapter will begin in September, when she will unveil her first collection for Bottega Veneta during Milan Fashion Week. The campaign pays homage to Milanese artist and designer Bruno Munari and his classic 1963 handbook of Italian gestures, 'Supplemento al Dizionario Italiano (Supplement to the Italian Dictionary).' The book is now published by Corraini. 'Craft Is Our Language' will also include a book, to be released in September with a second installment of images and films, featuring an additional cast of talents. 'The book will represent the 50 gestures that constitute a 'dictionary' of the language, the craft, and the values of Bottega Veneta,' said the company. First introduced in 1975, Intrecciato has become the hallmark of the house, and it requires hours, sometimes days, of artisanal patience and skill as it involves hand-weaving slender leather strips, called fettucce, into a leather base panel, or around a wooden mold in a diagonal arrangement. Best of WWD Bottega Veneta Through the Years Chanel's Ambassadors Over The Years Ranking Fashion's Longest-serving Creative Directors
Vogue Singapore
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
This just in: Bottega Veneta's new campaign is speaking in hands—and it's saying everything
For Bottega Veneta, craft has never just been about making things. It's about saying something—quietly, but with a whole lot of intention. This season, the house is marking 50 years of its iconic Intrecciato weave with Craft is our Language, a new campaign that transforms hand gestures into a full-blown conversation. Jack Davison Lensed by Jack Davison and choreographed by Lenio Kaklea, the campaign zooms in on the hands themselves—how they move, how they speak, and how they've always been a language in their own right. The result? A series of portraits and short films that feel intimate, poetic, and refreshingly human. Jack Davison Of course, the Intrecciato is the main star here. Introduced in 1975, the famed signature weave—more than a design flourish—is a hallmark of the Italian brand's core belief in collaboration, quiet luxury, and the kind of craft that doesn't need a logo to be recognised. Woven by hand from thin leather strips called fettucce, the process takes hours (sometimes days), and it still happens inside the house's ateliers in Veneto. Jack Davison And in place of a nostalgic moodboard, we get a living, breathing dictionary of 50 gestures—some inspired by the Intrecciato itself, others pulled from everyday expressions that transcend borders and time. Jack Davison The cast is stacked—and that's not hyperbole. The full lineup reads like a melting pot of creatives across disciplines and generations: Edward Buchanan, Thanaerng Kanyawee Songmuang, Vicky Krieps, Julianne Moore, Shu Qi, Barbara Chase-Riboud, I.N, Jack Antonoff, Lorenzo Musetti, Tyler, the Creator, Zadie Smith, Troy Kotsur, Neneh Cherry, Kelsey Lu, Yang Fudong, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Alphonse Maitrepierre, Takeshi Kitano, and Lauren Hutton. Jack Davison Edward Buchanan appears not just as a face in the campaign, but as a foundational figure—the luxury brand's very first design director, whose early influence helped usher the house into its ready-to-wear era in the '90s. Meanwhile, Lauren Hutton's inclusion carries a unique weight—she famously carried an Intrecciato clutch in American Gigolo, a single moment that propelled the signature weave into a new realm of cultural recognition, forever intertwined with cinematic history. Jack Davison Thanaerng, the Thai actress and model, bridges local fame with global reach, her image long synonymous with Southeast Asia's fashion vanguard. Vicky Krieps, known for her quietly intense performances across European cinema, brings a kind of mood that feels right at home in the Italian brand's slow, studied lens. Jack Davison Julianne Moore—an enduring figure across fashion and film—offers a familiar poise: grounded yet without ever being outmoded. Shu Qi, a household name in Asian movies and an enduring figure of on-screen glamour, brings with her a dulcet calm—anchoring the visual tempo with a subtle energy. Jack Davison Sculptor and poet Barbara Chase-Riboud enters as a living testament to form and material, her artistic legacy a seamless extension of the brand's own. Meanwhile, I.N of Stray Kids—global performer, Gen Z darling—offers a shiny generational foil: charming, playful, and deeply in tune with the visual language of now. Jack Davison Musician Jack Antonoff appears as the indie romantic—a cultural fixture who's shaped the sound of the last decade with big hits and musical shifts. Tennis player Lorenzo Musetti brings his own kind of athletic poetry to the mix—the kind that makes movement feel like style in motion. And then there's Tyler, the Creator: a polymath who's never really fit into a single category. Musician, designer, aesthetic disruptor. His inclusion speaks to the luxury brand's evolving curiosity—its openness to the outré and the unexpected. Jack Davison In the short films, we see artists and artisans interacting in quiet, considered scenes: exchanging gestures, trading stories, sometimes just letting their hands do the talking. The references run deep—from the etymological link between 'artist' and 'artisan' (both from the Latin ars) to a wink at Bruno Munari's Supplement to the Italian Dictionary, the 1963 cult classic celebrating the nuance of Italian hand gestures. Jack Davison There's a book coming too, set to launch in September with a second wave of imagery. But the message is already clear: for Bottega Veneta, true luxury isn't just about what you see. It's about what's exchanged, and passed from one hand to the next, literally. And right now? It's speaking volumes. Photographer and Director Jack Davison Art Director Paul Olivennes Choreographer Lenio Kaklea Directors of Photography James Beattie, Peter Hou Stylist Robbie Spencer Casting Julia Lange Hair Sigi Kumpfmüller Make-Up Hiromi Ueda Set Designers Staci-Lee Hindley, Julia Wagner Production Untitled Project
Vogue
4 days ago
- Business
- Vogue
From American Gigolo to Princess Diana—Bottega Veneta Celebrates 50 Years of Its Iconic Intrecciato Bags
It's a big year for Bottega Veneta. In September, the newly-installed creative director Louise Trotter will debut her vision for the future of the Italian label. Before that though Bottega Veneta is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Intrecciato weave, which was introduced a little less than a decade after the brand was founded in Vincenza, Veneto, and quickly established its reputation for craft and creativity. 'In 1960s Italy, the market was dominated by heavy, stiff, and structured handbags,' recalls Barbara Zanin, Bottega Veneta's Director of Craft and Heritage. '[Our] designs were characterized by their great softness—the bags were fluid, supple, simple. The introduction of the Intrecciato gave the bags a fluidity, almost like a fabric.' The first Bottega Veneta ad featured in Vogue's March 1975 issue. Photo: Courtesy of Bottega Veneta The Intrecciato technique utilizes long leather fettucce, or thin strips, that are woven into a leather base with slits in a diagonal pattern, instead of the more common vertical pattern. Much like cutting a piece of fabric on the bias, this technical development allowed for a softer structure. Its unique appearance became Bottega Veneta's calling card; eschewing the logo-driven trends of other luxury labels, in its first advertising campaigns it boasted: 'People know a Bottega the minute they see one. So we put our name on the inside only.' With Paul Schrader's 1980 film American Gigolo, the Intrecciato bag became an indelible part of the fashion pop culture canon when Lauren Hutton's character carried a burgundy clutch in the crook of her arm. The bag was appropriately re-released as the 'Lauren Clutch' in 2017, and it's since become a favorite of celebrities—and the not-so-famous—who want to show off their good taste in a subtle way; although these days the Intrecciato is as easily recognizable as anything with logos on it.
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Richard Gere, 75, shares rare picture with his two young sons and wife Alejandra
His gears are in dad mode. Richard Gere, 75, took to social media to share a rare look into his life with wife Alejandra Silva, 42, and their two young sons Alexander, 6, and James, 5. In the sweet Instagram snap, all four members of the family wore grey hoodies that said 'Open Arms' on them. 6 Richard Gere, his wife Alejandra and their two sons. Intagram/@mrrichardgere Gere, 75, captioned his post, 'This whole family is a proud supporter of @openarms_fund and their mission to save lives. ♥️. @alejandragere.' According to the nonprofit's website, Open Arms' mission is to protect those 'who try to reach Europe by sea, fleeing from armed conflict, persecution or poverty.' The couple first met in 2014 before tying the knot in 2018. Gere is also dad to son Homer, 24, from his marriage to Carey Lowell, while Silva has an 11-year-old son, Albert, from a prior marriage. 6 Richard Gere, his wife Alejandra and their son. alejandragere/Instagram In 2024, Gere and Silva took their love across the pond moving from Connecticut to Spain in November. 'The truth is that you are seeing us in our momentum,' Gere revealed in an interview alongside Silva with Elle España. 'We are happier than ever.' The 'American Gigolo' star contributes their happiness to their new home life in Spain. Gere gushed, 'She, because she is at home and I because, if she is happy, I am happy.' 6 Richard Gere and his family. alejandragere/Instagram 'We are like soulmates,' Silva added during the sit-down. 'We have the same values, we see the world in the same way and from the first moment we felt like we have known each other for a long time. And this only happens once, if it happens at all.' The publicist shared, 'We were united by the karma of our past lives.' After selling their sprawling $10.75 million mansion in the northeast, Gere, Silva, and their kids have adjusted nicely to their new routine. 'Richard is a very devoted and present father,' Silva detailed. 'He loves to read them stories. It seems like an idyllic photo, but it's true. He's a great dad.' 6 Richard Gere and Alejandra Silva attend the City Harvest Gala. Guerin Charles/ABACA/Shutterstock 'He doesn't cook. I do it, but when I cook, he plays the guitar.' The move came due to Silva wanting to return to her home country along with the need for humanitarian work in the country. 'The only reason why both Richard and I are here in Madrid is to be part of the board of the NGO Hogar Sí,' she explained. 'We want to help this country to end homelessness. Our goal is that, within 5 years, no one sleeps on the street.' Prior to their move, Gere expressed his excitement for the next chapter. 'My wife is Spanish and she gave me about seven years here, and so we're going to spend some years in Madrid,' he said while on 'The Tonight Show' in November 2024. 'Our kids are bilingual, so they're going to flourish there.' 6 Alejandra Gere and Richard Gere attend the 'Wisdom of Happiness' green carpet during the 20th Zurich Film Festival. Getty Images for ZFF 6 Richard Gere and his wife Alejandra. Abaca Press/INSTARimages 'My wife, she grew up in a very big Spanish family, like a big Italian family,' continued Gere. 'Her grandmother was kind of the glue that held that all together, and the grandmother passed away about a year and a half ago, two years ago. 'So my wife, I can see her morphing into the new grandmother of this extended family. She's already planning for, you know, 35 people for Sunday lunches.' In March, Gere celebrated his first Spanish Father's Day, with Silva sharing a slew of photos to Instagram in honor of the momentous day. Silva sweetly wrote across one of the shots, 'Happy 1st Spanish Father's Day to the dad of the world.'
