What does it mean to talk with your hands? For Bottega Veneta, it’s a guiding philosophy. In their new “Craft is Our Language campaign,” the Italian house commemorates five decades of its signature Intrecciato weave by elevating the gestural to a universal vocabulary. Lensed by Jack Davison and choreographed by Lenio Kaklea, the campaign celebrates tactile eloquence—a fitting nod to the stretching, lacing, and cutting that produces the “in-treh-chah-toh” look, made entirely by artisan hands.
Founded in 1966 by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro, the Italian maison rose to prominence with meticulous, logoless luxury pieces. In the '70s, their statement-making omission of branding was punctuated by a slogan: "When your initials are enough." In 2025, all that's needed to spot a Bottega bag is its weave. To create it, the Veneto region’s local artisans devised a system of putting strips of slender leather onto a perforated base, or coiling them around wooden molds, providing a supple yet sturdy base for the house's leather works. Rooted in traditions native to Vicenza, where Bottega’s main atelier is located, the novel technique brought unprecedented malleability to calf- and lambskin—and a timeless calling card to a nascent brand.
Today, Art Director Paul Olivennes says, “The core idea behind this ['Craft is Our Language'] campaign was to invent a new way of speaking about craft—both visually and conceptually—not simply as a form of heritage, but as an artistic practice in itself.” The series brings together a vibrant ensemble of talent across disciplines—including actor Julianne Moore, writer Zadie Smith, producer Jack Antonoff, and tennis star Lorenzo Musetti. Joining them is actor Lauren Hutton, who lent her icon status to the Intrecciato clutch when she toted it in the 1980 classic American Gigolo, as well as former Bottega Veneta design director Edward Buchanan, who produced the brand’s first ready-to-wear line. “The beautiful thing about the approach was its simplicity, its focus on gestures and character,” says Davison. “Our aim was then on keeping things as stripped back as possible, working with beautiful daylight to hone in moments of pause and emotion with each of the talents.”
A series of short films accompany the imagery, featuring thoughtful conversations between Bottega Veneta’s artisans and cross-disciplinary cultural figures, including sculptor Barbara Chase-Riboud, actor Terrance Lau, and performer Thanaerng. Together, they explore the beauty of shared gestures—those that transcend language or culture. Adding conceptual flourish is a nod to one of Italy’s most beloved visual philosophers, Bruno Munari, with a forthcoming book cataloguing 50 gestures that encapsulate the house’s values and craftsmanship. Coming this September, the tome is styled in the spirit of Munari's 1963 publication, Supplemento al Dizionario Italiano, which playfully documented the gestures that define Italian communication.
In a culture increasingly shaped by automation and abstraction, “Craft is Our Language” offers something enduring: a celebration of the human hand as both a tool and storyteller.
