Bottega Veneta, Explained: Intrecciato, the Andiamo, the Shoes and How to Buy Well

Bottega Veneta is the Italian leather house from Vicenza that is recognized by its weave rather than its logo. Its signature, intrecciato, is leather cut into strips and woven, and it turns up on everything from bags to loafers to the buttons of a cardigan. If you are buying your first piece, make it an intrecciato bag: the Andiamo, with its metal knot and adjustable strap, is the most practical, while the knotted Jodie and the Sardine, with its sculpted metal handle, are the more distinctive choices. For less money, start with sunglasses or an intrecciato belt. Below, our editors explain where the house came from and who designs it now, what intrecciato is and how to judge it, which Bottega Veneta bags, shoes and clothes to buy, how the house fits, how to care for woven leather and which pieces hold their value.

Bottega Veneta at a glance

A short history of Bottega Veneta, from Vicenza to Louise Trotter

Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro founded Bottega Veneta in Vicenza in 1966, and the house set itself apart with soft, supple bags free of heavy hardware and without a logo, according to Kering's history of the house. In 1975 it introduced intrecciato, together with the tagline "When your own initials are enough," and in 1980 the weave reached a wider audience when Lauren Hutton's character carried an intrecciato clutch in Paul Schrader's film American Gigolo.

In 2001 Bottega Veneta was acquired by the Gucci Group, part of the group now called Kering, and the same year Tomas Maier arrived from Hermès as creative director and rebuilt the house around its woven leather and its artisans, WWD reported. In 2013, still in Maier's era, the company moved its headquarters to an 18th-century villa about 16 miles from Vicenza, and it brought the training of its artisans in-house with a school of its own. Daniel Lee, who succeeded Maier in 2018, revived the house with a younger energy: his first collection, in 2019, introduced the Pouch, and his accessories also included the Cassette bag and the square-toed Lido sandals. Matthieu Blazy, appointed in November 2021, added the Andiamo and an inventive way with leather, before leaving for Chanel.

Louise Trotter, who previously led Carven and, before that, Lacoste, has been creative director since January 2025. She presented her first show in September 2025, and her first collections leaned heavily on woven leather. Her Spring 2027 collection, shown in Milan in September 2026, was lighter, with crisper fabrics, a little more color and airy lace and crochet drawn from the knitting and stitching traditions of the Venice region, according to WWD's review. "Craft really is our logo," she told reporters after the show.

At Vêtir, Bottega Veneta is one of the houses our clients search for by name, and The RealReal counted it among the ten most-searched brands of 2026, WWD reported from the resale platform's annual report.

What is intrecciato, and how to judge it

Intrecciato is Italian for woven. The technique weaves leather strips, called fettucce, around a wooden mold, and 2025 marked its 50th anniversary, as Who What Wear explains. The weave comes at different scales: narrow strips on belts and small leather goods, wider ones on most bags, padded strips that read almost as quilting, and woven suede, which feels softer and looks more matte.

How to judge it in a photo or in person:

• Straight, even rows. Strips should be the same width, run in straight lines and meet cleanly at the corners and seams.
• Tension. The weave should be tight, with no gaps where the strips cross, and no gloss of glue at the edges.
• Softness by design. Most Bottega bags have little internal structure, so they relax with use. That is the point, not a flaw; if you want a bag that keeps its shape, choose a rigid style such as the Knot minaudière.
• Color. Black and dark browns hide wear in the grooves of the weave; pale colors show it first.

Bottega Veneta bags: the Andiamo

The Andiamo, Italian for "let's go," is the house's everyday bag. It launched in 2023 under Matthieu Blazy and is usually made in intrecciato, though recent versions also come in smooth leather. Its metal knot holds the strap in place: on many versions you loop the strap twice for a shoulder bag or let it out for crossbody, as Who What Wear's review describes, and there is a top handle as well. The same knot now appears on clutches, pouches, belts and loafers.

Which size? The mini holds a phone, cards and keys, and the small adds sunglasses; the medium is the work size, and the large is an office or travel tote. There are also a slim east-west version, a clutch and pouches on straps. For a first Andiamo, choose black or a dark brown in intrecciato leather; suede is softer and warmer-looking but needs more care in the rain.

How our stylists wear it:

• Office: a black medium Andiamo carried by the handle with a long navy coat, a gray turtleneck and straight wool trousers.
• Weekend: a small Andiamo in caramel suede worn crossbody over a cream cable sweater with straight dark jeans and loafers.
• Evening: the Andiamo clutch with a black slip dress and a tailored coat. The woven leather adds texture where most evening bags add shine.

The other Bottega Veneta bags: Jodie, Sardine, Hop, Knot and more

• Jodie: a soft intrecciato hobo whose handle is tied in a knot. It sits snugly under the arm and suits most outfits.
• Sardine: an intrecciato bag with a sculpted metal top handle and a thin knotted strap for crossbody wear. It is the most sculptural bag in the collection, and WWD named it among the handbags behind the house's sales gains in 2024.
• Hop: a wide, slouchy hobo in intrecciato leather or suede, the relaxed weekend bag.
• Veneta: the house's roomy woven hobo, in padded, supple leather.
• Knot: a small, hard minaudière closed with a knot-shaped clasp, and the house's classic evening bag.
• Lauren 1980: an intrecciato clutch with a magnetic flap and a chain, easy to carry by hand or on the shoulder.
• Cabat: the house's open woven tote, the plainest bag it makes.

If you carry a laptop every day, choose a tote such as a large Andiamo or the Cabat over the hobos, whose soft shape does not support heavy contents. Browse designer shoulder bags to compare shapes, or read our guide to the best evening bags for the Knot's rivals.

Which Bottega Veneta bag should you buy first?

Match the bag to the way you actually carry things:

Whichever you choose, buy the first one in black or a dark brown. Pale colors show every scuff in the grooves of the weave, while a dark intrecciato bag works with everything from a navy coat to a black dress.

Bottega Veneta shoes: knot loafers, flats and boots

Bottega Veneta shoes follow the bags: woven leather, soft construction and the knot. The Lido, the square-toed woven sandal, was one of the hits of Daniel Lee's era, but in winter the shoes to buy are these:

• Knot loafers: a leather or suede loafer with a metal knot across the vamp, some lined with shearling for winter.
• Woven-suede loafers: soft and unstructured, the gentlest way to wear intrecciato.
• Ballet flats: in woven suede, or in nappa leather with a buckled strap.
• Boots: woven leather from ankle boots to knee-highs on a cylindrical heel, and stretch-leather ankle boots on a low one.

Fit: Bottega Veneta shoes follow European sizing; most listings on Vêtir convert them to US sizes, but some show the European number, so check which system each uses. Woven uppers have a little give; smooth leather has less. Loafers with leather outsoles are slippery on wet pavement until a cobbler adds a thin rubber sole guard.

How to wear them: knot loafers with cropped straight trousers and a fine sock; woven ballet flats with a midi skirt and sheer black tights; woven knee-high boots under a knit dress for the office. For more pairs across houses, see our guide to the best designer loafers or browse designer loafers.

Bottega Veneta ready-to-wear and accessories

The clothes are where Trotter's hand shows most clearly: trim, elongated tailoring, oversized blazers, long coats and knitwear, with intrecciato used as a detail on a cape, the belt of a skirt or the buttons of a cardigan. The pieces that last are the tailoring and the knits in black, navy, gray and ivory. Wear a long wool coat or an oversized blazer with straight trousers and a woven bag, and let one intrecciato detail carry the look.

Accessories are the least expensive way in. An intrecciato belt, or one with the Andiamo knot as its buckle, looks right with jeans and tailoring alike, and the sunglasses, from narrow cat-eyes to wraparound shields, carry the house's soft, rounded shapes. See our guide to the best designer belts or browse designer belts.

How Bottega Veneta fits: clothing, shoes and bags

Clothing. Retailers list Bottega Veneta in Italian sizes, US sizes or letters, depending on the store, so read the size chart on each listing. Many jackets, coats and knits are cut oversized or relaxed on purpose, as their listings say, so choose your usual size and judge the fit at the shoulders rather than sizing down. Hem trousers for the shoe you wear most.

Shoes. European sizing, usually converted to US on the listing. Square toes such as the Lido's leave room for the toes; pointed styles need your full length.

Bags. Most families come in several sizes. Soft bags look larger on the body than their measurements suggest, so compare the listed dimensions with a bag you already own.

How to care for intrecciato

• Do not overstuff it. Cramming a woven bag stretches the strips and opens gaps in the weave. If it does not close easily, it is too full.
• Store it stuffed with tissue in its dust bag, standing up, so the weave keeps its shape and the handle does not crease.
• Keep sharp objects away. Keys, pens and rings can catch a strip; use a small pouch inside.
• Clean it gently. Brush dust out of the grooves with a soft brush and wipe smooth leather with a dry cloth. Brush woven suede in one direction and keep it out of heavy rain.
• Repairs: take a loose strip or a worn corner to a specialist leather repairer rather than gluing it at home.

Is Bottega Veneta worth it? What holds its value

If you value workmanship over branding, yes. You pay for leather cut into strips and woven by artisans the house trains itself, and the result gets softer and more personal with use. The long-term buys are the house's recurring shapes in intrecciato leather, the Andiamo, the Jodie, the Sardine and the Knot, in black or dark brown. What is seasonal: fringe, feathers, raffia, bright colors and runway novelties; buy those because you love them. For anything you may resell one day, from an Andiamo to a pair of knot loafers, hold on to the dust bag, box and receipt; Vêtir's pre-owned resale can help when you are ready to sell.

If you like Bottega Veneta, look at these houses too

• Loewe: Spanish leather goods with the same respect for craft. Start with our Loewe bags guide.
• Prada: Italian and practical, with Saffiano leather and nylon. Read our Prada guide.
• Saint Laurent: the Parisian opposite, sharp and nocturnal. See our Saint Laurent guide.
• The Row and Khaite: logo-free American houses for leather bags, knitwear and coats.
• Jil Sander: exact, minimal tailoring to wear with woven bags.

How we chose

Each product is new Bottega Veneta, and each was in stock when we checked it. We gave priority to the house's recurring families, the Andiamo, Jodie, Sardine, Hop, Knot and Lauren 1980 bags and the knot and woven loafers, over one-season pieces, and chose winter-ready shoes for a December publication. Listings told us each piece's materials and where it was made, and we checked every photograph for color and shape, cutting any piece whose pictures did not match its stated color. Because resale listings carry the Bottega Veneta name in the catalogue too, we excluded them and restricted every block's refills to new stock. The loafers, flats, boots and ready-to-wear were chosen in styles that still had several sizes in stock when we wrote this.

Frequently asked questions

What does Bottega Veneta mean?

"Venetian workshop" in Italian. The house was founded in Vicenza, in the Veneto region, in 1966.

Who is the creative director of Bottega Veneta?

Louise Trotter, since January 2025. She succeeded Matthieu Blazy, who left for Chanel. Before Blazy came Daniel Lee, and before him Tomas Maier, who led the house from 2001 to 2018.

What is intrecciato?

Bottega Veneta's signature technique: leather cut into strips and woven, introduced in 1975. It is used on bags, shoes, belts and details of clothing.

How does Bottega Veneta sizing run?

Clothes are labeled in Italian sizes, though some retailers convert them to US sizes or letters, and many jackets, coats and knits are cut oversized on purpose, so start with your usual size and judge by the shoulders. Shoes follow European sizing and are usually converted to US on the listing; woven uppers give a little, smooth leather less.

Is the Bottega Veneta Andiamo worth it?

If you want one bag for every day, yes. It is made in intrecciato, has a top handle and a strap that doubles or lengthens around its metal knot, and comes in sizes from mini to large. Choose black or dark brown for the longest life.

Why doesn't Bottega Veneta use a logo?

From the start the house sold soft bags without a logo and let the weave identify them, a stance summed up by its 1975 tagline, "When your own initials are enough."

If you already own an Andiamo or a pair of Bottega loafers and want complete outfits built around them, ask our AI stylist.

Keep reading

• Prada, explained
• Saint Laurent, explained
• The Loewe bags guide
• The best designer loafers