Bottega Veneta Unveils New Footwear Atelier in Italy
BEST FOOT FORWARD: Bottega Veneta has opened a new footwear atelier in Vigonza, between Padua and Venice, in the Riviera del Brenta, a storied Italian shoe production district.
The façade of the building is made with dark metal panels reminiscent of the brand’s distinctive Intrecciato leather weaving.
Covering almost 59,000-square-feet over three floors, the atelier houses offices, meeting and break rooms, a canteen, and an expansive terrace.
Each Bottega Veneta shoe will now be realized – from the design, development, research, quality control, prototyping, and final production stages – under the same roof in Vigonza.
The site will be LEED certified, as is the company’s Montebello Vicentino headquarters in a restored 19th-century villa ensconced in a park about 16 miles from Vicenza, in the Veneto region. Bottega Veneta’s own training school is also located in the villa.
“Since its foundation, Bottega Veneta has been deeply rooted in the culture, community, and unique traditions of the Veneto region,” stated chief executive officer Leo Rongone. “The craftsmanship that defines the house can only come from this territory, and we could not have chosen a better place than Vigonza, in the footwear district of the Riviera del Brenta, to house our atelier.”
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The atelier is a key step in the internalization process, continued Rongone, as it allows the company “to preserve and cultivate the skills of our artisans and extend to shoes the creativity and artisan excellence that has distinguished our bags since 1966.”
For fall, creative director Matthieu Blazy presented a striking range of bags and shoes, from woven leather thigh-high boots to iridescent, jellyfish-like clogs. Bottega Veneta is set to stage a repeat show of its fall 2023 collection in Beijing on July 20.
The company is also investing in new Milan headquarters at Palazzo San Fedele. Originally the site of the Manzoni theater, the building, which stands near the Duomo cathedral and the La Scala theater, was built in 1870 and is being restored by Bottega Veneta. Blazy’s staged his first runway show for the brand in this location in February last year.
This story was reported by WWD and originally appeared on WWD.com.
