Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1538963
G U T T E R C R E D I T T E E K AY P H OTO BY A N D R E S OY U E L A ( K U R KOVA ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F B OT T EG A V E N E TA BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M WOVEN WONDERS The Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta makes a huge impact while saying very little. Its signature intrecciato weave, now celebrating 50 years, is a big part of the label's understated success. BY NICK REMSEN Since its founding in 1966, Bottega Veneta has made a name for itself by… well, not needing to say it. The house's signature intrecciato weave—first introduced in 1975—is perhaps the fashion world's most powerful logo-less logo, an instantly recognizable motif rooted not in flash, but in quiet artisanship and ultra-luxe webbing. Bottega's intrecciato treatment is unobtrusive, understated, and, importantly, difficult to replicate. Originally woven in a horizontal pattern, the weave evolved into a Made by hand using slender strips of leather—fettucce—interlaced into a perforated base, intrecciato is as much a tactile experience as it is a visual one. The weave shot to mainstream recognition in American Gigolo, when Lauren Hutton casually carried a Bottega Veneta clutch (later reissued as "The Lauren 1980," and when Hutton appeared in a campaign for the brand), and yet, despite the moment's impact, Bottega never veered toward overt branding. Tomas Maier nurtured its growth in the early aughts, and then diagonally biased format—a 45-degree tilt that gave it both a fluid aesthetic and a soft- structured edge. The shift was subtle, yes, but it changed the game. Suddenly, the bags felt cushier. The pattern took on a sense of movement, as if gliding across the surface of the leather. That diagonal line might even be said to echo the historical crossroads of Venice itself—where East meets West, and from which Bottega's heritage draws its deep, almost reverential, energy. Model Karolina Kurkova takes the lead in An Affair to Remember. FROM LEFT Inside Bottega Veneta's Montebello atelier; intrecciato leather Dustbag in Barolo DIAMOND STATE OF MIND Bal Harbour Shops has just released its first-ever film campaign, An Affair to Remember. The short film kicks off a season of celebrations, culminating in November with an invitation-only gala at the Shops in partnership with the Access Membership & Rewards program, and an immersive floral environment that will take over the Center Courtyard for all to enjoy. Daniel Lee maximized it, turning the smaller intrecciato pattern into more maximal, slightly less discreet blocks. Of late, under the most recent creative stewardship of Matthieu Blazy (who was succeeded last December by Louise Trotter; her debut collection will be Spring/ Summer 2026), Bottega Veneta's Montebello atelier continues to push the intrecciato weave forward. With more than 50 interpretations to date, the technique has become a kind of living language—translated across shapes, scales, and palettes. From oversized tote grids to finely knotted pouches, it remains a testament to the brand's founding ethos: When you're this good, you don't need a name on the outside. The weave speaks for itself. BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M