Bottega Veneta marked the 50th anniversary of its Intrecciato leather weave with a new campaign titled Craft is our Language, a considered reflection on the house’s most enduring code. Shot by Jack Davison and choreographed by Lenio Kaklea, the images focus on gesture and touch, using the hands as a visual metaphor for connection, exchange, and shared making.
The cast spans disciplines and generations, bringing together figures from art, film, fashion, literature, music, and sport. Among them are Jack Antonoff, Dario Argento, Edward Buchanan, Barbara Chase Riboud, Neneh Cherry, Dave Free, Lauren Hutton, I.N of Stray Kids, Troy Kotsur, Vicky Krieps, Julianne Moore, Lorenzo Musetti, Shu Qi, Zadie Smith, Tyler Okonma, and Lorenzo Viotti. Each appears wearing pieces including Intrecciato leather bags and gloves to the house’s ready-to-wear, with the emphasis remaining firmly on craft rather than celebrity.
Several participants held particular resonance for the brand’s history. Edward Buchanan for instance, who served as design director from 1995 to 2000, was responsible for introducing Bottega Veneta’s first ready-to-wear collection. Lauren Hutton famously carried an Intrecciato clutch in American Gigolo, a moment that helped bring the weave into wider cultural view.
First introduced in 1975, Intrecciato is created through a painstaking process that involves hand weaving slender leather strips into a base panel or around a wooden mold. Rooted in Italian weaving traditions from the Veneto region, the technique is distinguished by its diagonal structure and exceptional finish, requiring hours of precise handwork.
Later in the year, Craft is our Language is set to expand into a printed volume and a second series of images and short films. Conceived as a kind of dictionary, the book aims to articulate the values, techniques, and quiet philosophy that have defined Bottega Veneta for half a century.
Discover the campaign below.
