Bottega Veneta celebrates 50 years of its woven leather signature with a poetic campaign

Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta is marking the 50th anniversary of intrecciato (meaning “woven” in Italian), the leather technique that has become its signature. To celebrate five decades of artisanal excellence, the Italian label, part of the Kering luxury group, has launched a striking new campaign titled “Craft is Our Language.” The visuals feature a series of moving hands—intertwined and interlaced like leather strips—alongside notable personalities.

The story of intrecciato dates back to the 1970s when Renzo Zengiaro, the craftsman behind Bottega Veneta, introduced the weaving technique. He co-founded the house in Vicenza in 1966 with Michele Taddei. Their technique and design quickly became a reference in luxury leather goods. At the time, leather in the Veneto region—better known for ready-to-wear—was especially thin, suitable for weaving and commonly used in gloves and shoes. Zengiaro’s idea was to use wider leather strips to create bags using his very own developed method.

However, success came slowly. Years later, Zengiaro recalled that buyers in Paris rejected his woven leather bags, claiming they looked too much like summer straw bags. The brand halted production, kept only a few samples, and offered them to the Japanese and American markets. Customers in those regions quickly drove up demand, laying the foundation for what ultimately became Bottega Veneta’s hallmark.

Since then, intrecciato has been reinterpreted in numerous ways by the brand’s various creative directors—across apparel, materials, and even oversized weaves. The technique has been used to craft highly coveted accessories, often widely copied. It quickly became a staple in all product categories, from jewelry and furniture to ready-to-wear.

Yet the brand’s new campaign barely shows its bags or products. Instead, it highlights creativity, craftsmanship, and human connection. This focus explains the use of hands—literally forming a language—as illustrated in a well-known book by Italian designer Bruno Munari. Bottega Veneta honors him through this project.

The anniversary campaign “views intrecciato not just as a technique, but as a metaphor. The interwoven leather strips, which over time became the house’s hallmark, represent the bond that links individuals. It symbolizes sharing, transmission, and the collective spirit that drives Bottega Veneta’s philosophy,” the house explained in a statement.

Shot by photographer Jack Davison and choreographed by Lenio Kaklea, “Craft is Our Language” is built around a series of portraits paired with images of hands. The selected figures come from the worlds of art, film, fashion, literature, music, and sport.

The lineup starts with actress Lauren Hutton, who carried a Bottega Veneta woven clutch in Paul Schrader’s 1980 film American Gigolo and walked the runway in 2016 for the brand’s 50th anniversary wearing a modernized version of the same piece.

Others featured in the campaign include designer Edward Buchanan—who served as Bottega Veneta’s first ready-to-wear creative director from 1995 to 2000—Italian filmmaker Dario Argento, actress Julianne Moore, poet and sculptor Barbara Chase-Riboud, singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry, and novelist Zadie Smith.