Written by Nicole Štěch

Does a handbag need to feature a logo to be instantly recognizable? History teaches us that it does not. It offers numerous examples of designs that succeeded with consumers thanks to a unique silhouette, manufacturing method, or distinctive color palette – without a logo openly announcing which brand we are dealing with. Instead of a logo, it may be the quilting characteristic of many Chanel handbags that speaks for itself. Or the strap, padlock, and key that guard the discreetly hidden logo of the Hermès Birkin. And then there is intrecciato, the artisanal technique of the Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta, which speaks its own language.

When you purchase a handbag, pair of shoes, or ready-to-wear piece by the brand made using the intrecciato method, you are not paying for an item signed by a logo, but for the unique way in which it is made. What we now regard as a highly aesthetic feature originally arose from a purely practical necessity. In the Veneto region, where the brand was founded in 1966, sewing machines lacked sufficient power. They were unable to handle the thick leather most sought after by customers at the time, and so the brand adopted a different approach. While the fashion and leather industries of the 1960s were dominated by strict, rigidly structured silhouettes, Bottega Veneta went in the opposite direction and invented a method of weaving and interlacing long strips of double-sided leather into a cohesive whole. The technique draws on a long Italian tradition of weaving and leather craftsmanship, while also being defined by an innovative diagonal arrangement, precise proportions, and the quality of the leather itself. The process requires hours – sometimes even days – of patient handwork by master artisans, during which narrow leather strips, known as fettucce, are hand-woven into a leather base. Thanks to this technique, the brand was able to create leather bags that were durable and practical, yet retained lightness, suppleness, and a refined softness of form. Although the brand has always adhered to a logo-free philosophy, it remains distinctive and instantly recognizable precisely because of the exceptional quality and strong expressive power of this signature craft.

And so the Italian brand succeeded in creating a technique that is almost perfect. Intrecciato is like a painter’s canvas, interpreted in many ways by different creative directors and artisanal workshops. Materials, varied finishes, weaving methods, as well as different colors of the base and the leather strips, gave rise to a vibrant gallery showcasing what Italian craftsmanship is capable of. In 2002, under the tenure of creative director Tomas Maier, the Cabat bag was introduced to the market. Its production process departed from the traditional intrecciato method based on a perforated foundation. Instead, it was handmade by weaving leather strips directly together within a wooden frame. This so-called intreccio method was later also used by Daniel Lee, who served as creative director from 2018 to 2021. Knot, Hobo, Cassette, Jodie, and Pouch – all of these bags acquired their most striking forms precisely thanks to the interwoven leather strips. Exceptional craftsmanship was then regularly celebrated in his collections by Matthieu Blazy, whose era under the wings of the Italian fashion house gave rise to vibrant collections of handbags, shoes, and ready-to-wear. He understood well that it is intrecciato that sets the brand apart from others, and he used the technique not only as a means of creative expression but also as a powerful marketing tool and a unique selling point.

Long before quiet luxury was given a name, there was Bottega Veneta. Without the need for a prominent logo, the brand has long sold products with a distinctive, unmistakable signature. The value of intrecciato became even more apparent at the turn of the millennium, when awareness of the brand wavered during the era of logomania. The turning point came with the brand’s acquisition by the Gucci Group and the appointment of Tomas Maier as creative director. Maier returned to the brand’s unbranded identity, and it was intrecciato that appeared – in numerous variations – across many of the luxury items of his era. Whether classic intrecciato (evenly woven leather strips), maxi intrecciato (evenly woven wide leather strips), micro intrecciato (evenly woven very thin leather strips), or foulard intrecciato (a weave made of strips of varying widths), a single production method can take on countless forms.

In 2025, Bottega Veneta celebrated fifty years of the Intrecciato technique with the campaign “Craft is our Language,” which presents it not only as a method of production but also as a metaphor. The weaving of leather strips craft symbolizes connection, exchange, and the collective spirit that has been at the very core of Bottega Veneta since its founding, when it emerged as a collective of artisans. In keeping with this philosophy, the campaign captured hand gestures representing Intrecciato alongside universal gestures that connect people across generations, cultures, environments, and contexts. In both concept and aesthetics, the campaign deliberately evoked the work of Milanese artist and designer Bruno Munari and his legendary 1963 handbook of gestures, Supplemento al Dizionario Italiano. Both in still images and in film, the campaign featured Bottega Veneta artisans alongside exceptional figures from the worlds of art, film, fashion, literature, music, and sport. Two of these personalities also had a direct connection to the history of Bottega Veneta: Edward Buchanan, who served as the house’s design director from 1995 to 2000 and introduced its very first ready-to-wear collection, and Lauren Hutton, who appeared with an Intrecciato clutch in the 1980 film American Gigolo, thereby cementing it irrevocably in the history of pop culture.