Bottega Veneta

International Luxury Distribution
Bottega Veneta case study: a successful case of

exclusive luxury brand rejuvenation
Case study abstract written by Maya de Liedekerke

ESSEC MBA student for Professor Morisset class on International Luxury Distribution
- Year 2007/08
Documentation provided by Denis Morisset
Bottega Veneta case study – Denis Morisset – International Luxury Distribution – 2009/10
Assignment
To facilitate class discussion, primarily focused on brand rejuvenation, distribution

business model, retail and co-branding , students will read the case study abstract,
read the additional documentation provided on Bottega Veneta, do additional
research if needed, including visits of Bottega Veneta points of sales in Paris. They
should try to answer the following questions which will be addressed in class (session
6)
1/ Rejuvenating and turning around a luxury brand
What are the main factors that can explain the successful turnaround of Bottega
Veneta.
Can we draw a portrait of Bottega Veneta typical client?
How far can Bottega Veneta grow sales and gain market shares?
How has Bottega Veneta succeeded in reaching half a billion € annual revenues
while remaining very exclusive ot at least perceived as such?
What are the risks that Bottega Veneta could weaken its exclusivity positioning in the
future?
2/ Brand extension and co-branding
What has been the brand extension strategy of Bottega Veneta so far?
How did Bottega Veneta leverage on partners and brands through co-branding
arrangements without endangering its brand integrity – analyse the recent examples
as much as possible (furniture, fragrance etc.)
Would you recommend other brand extensions and further use of co-branding
strategies to Bottega Veneta ; give examples
3/ International distribution and retail culture
How strategic has been retail for Bottega Veneta in the past few years and how key
for Bottega Veneta to develop a successful international distribution presence?
To which extent Bottega retail concept, merchandising, service level is key to Bottega
Veneta success and to which extent does it reflect and communicate the brand’s
DNA, positioning and values.
Case study abstract
Bottega Veneta: How to sublimate discretion
A strong heritage of innovation, discretion and craftsmanship
“Bottega Veneta” means Venetian workshop and was created in 1966 by

Michele Taddei and Renza Zengiano. They implemented a workshop in Venetia, a
region of Italy well known for its fine leather, and after supplying great houses such
as Armani they finally appeared on their own brand in the 1970’s.
They wanted to differentiate from all other craftsmen of the region and
therefore implemented an innovative technique: the “Intrecciato”, which permitted
them to launch the first supple leather handbag.
They also stood out from other luxury houses by their “no logo” philosophy
which was concretised in its American campaign in the 1970’s by the slogan “When
your own initials are enough” and which still appears on walls during present runways.
The brand encountered a great international success back in the 1970’s and early
1980’s before it slowly fell into oblivion.
By the end of the 90’s, the brand was close to filing for bankruptcy when the
International group PPR take over the brand in 2001, and designated Tomas Maier
as creative director so he could give back to the brand its letters patent of nobility.
Tomas Maier, former designer for luxury fashion houses such as Hermès, Sonia
Rykiel and Revillon, decided to renew with the no logo philosophy, the high quality of
products and limited series.
Since then, Bottega Veneta has known a growing success and reached a high
end luxury positioning with collections among the more genteel and exclusive of the
international scene.
The craftsmanship nowadays
“Although I’ve been knowing Bottega Veneta since the 1970’s I had
never imagined such a meticulous and crafted way of working on
leather wears” Tomas Maier
The leather is cut in thin strips that are interlaced in order to give them more
resistance without loosing their suppleness.
Such a weaving needs the most refined leatherwear and the controlling
process of quality is quite meticulous: Bottega Veneta’s leathers come from
France(Millau), Spain or Italy and has already been checked in the tannery they
come from before they pass another mechanical verification in Bottega Veneta’s
workshop to evaluate their resistance to traction and deformation.
The stability of coloration is also verified as well as the thickness which
oscillates from 0,8 to 0,9 mm. Bottega Veneta’s signature is its know-how” explains
Tomas Maier. Every material used for Bottega Veneta’s products are exclusive
creations for the brand and the secret of hand weaving is well kept.
Tomas Maier gets his inspiration from the lights of the city and conceives
fashion as a designer, with an accurate balance between aesthetic and functionality,
where the material is the major point. The creative director of the brand is a colour
passionate and in the workshop more than 700000 leather wears of different shades
are waiting for special orders to be cut and transformed into a bag or a product
ornament.
To initiate a collection he starts to choose his range of colour, which gives him
ideas of material and then shapes. Skilful hands will then apply to interlace the strips
during at least a day; it will take another day to add the handles and finishing touches.
Bottega Veneta currently hires 150 experimented craftsmen in its workshop and
another 500 in the region.
The workshop manufactures the new collection prototypes as well as specific

orders in precious leather wears such as crocodile, iguana or ostrich.
Towards a life style brand
« Our know-how is the key success of the brand. We are now

becoming one of the most exclusive luxury houses of the world thanks
to complementary collections edited in the same spirit of perfection,
without giving up on quality”. Patrizio di Marco, CEO
Encouraged by its tremendous success, Bottega Venetta is currently

becoming a lifestyle brand. Staying faithful to its values of craftsmanship, quality,
discretion and exclusivity, Bottega Veneta has progressively extended its range of
product:
Starting from handbags and leather articles, the brand inaugurated in 2003 its
ready-to-wear collection for men and women.
Bottega Veneta created its first jewellery items in 2004 and the first fashion
show of the brand occurred in Milan in 2005, accompanied by the launch of its home
collection at the Milanese Furniture Show.
After shoes, clothing, accessories and furniture, the brand developed

partnerships in order to expand its influence territory and still keep the quality of finest
expertise: In 2006, Bottega Veneta designed a suite for St Regis Hotel in New York
and another one in 2007 in Rome.
The brand had given the eyewear license to Safilo( Gucci, Armani, Dior…) in
2002 and it developed its partnerships in 2006 by creating scents with l’Artisan
parfumeur, glass items with the Murano blower and the new jewellery collection with
a German expert.
The CEO of the brand, Patrizio di Marco, watches over not to bring into
disrepute the brand image at a time when luxury customers are looking for reliable
values. This progressive orientation on a life style brand is discernible in the evolution
of the advertising campaigns which tends to change the focus on the product into an
evocation of the customer environment.
The sublime discretion
The reputation of Bottega Veneta is to have a chicness that exists outside

fashion. Its identity of sober elegance is influencing its brand management and
marketing strategy. Bottega Veneta sees to preserve its difference and a part of
confidentiality through its advertising campaigns which are shoot by artist
photographers instead of fashion ones.
Tomas Maier chooses artists whose work has touched him and likes to
collaborate with them on the shoot in order to convey the timeless image of the brand.
This high exclusivity and subtleness can also be found it its international
distribution: Bottega Veneta inaugurated in 2002 its new stores with architectural
concept in 3 strategic locations: Paris, London and Milan.
In 2004, the brand opens a flagship store on Fifth Avenue, New York, and in
2005 its second Paris store, avenue Montaigne. Usually, the store window is quite
small but when the customer enters he discovers an entire universe made of various
rooms.. A flagship opened in Tokyo in 2007.
Thanks to its success and to its retail investments, Bottega Veneta had 111
directly operated stores at the end of 2007.
The reward of ambition and integrity
From 2001 to 2007, Bottega Veneta increased retail presence and turnover
considerably with sales of 366 million euros in 2007, from less than 60 MI € initially
But even more impressive has been the recovered profitability : after years of losses,
the brand started to be profitable again in 2004 and reached an impressive 92 MI €
million in recurring operating income in 2007, ie close to 30 % of sales.
The years 2006 & 2007 consecrated the successful and innovative strategy of
the brand: quality of materials, Italian elegance and simple straight communication.
Bottega Veneta was declared “most exclusive brand” according to an American study
carried out by the Luxury Institute. The brand also received the prestigious «Walpole
Award for International Luxury Brand » for its dynamic sales, services and visibility
.
Tomas Maier was also rewarded by the“German Forum Preis Award” for his
creativity and design, the “Rule Breakers” from Fashion Group International and the
award of “Designer of the year” from DNR.
Bottega Veneta displays record performances in 2007 with a turnover of 366
million euros, soaring by 48,7 % vs 2006.
It can be explained by the success of its new collections leading to great retail and
wholesale profits. Every category of product is concerned by these good results,
especially the leather goods which stand for 82, 3% of the turnover. This significative
contribution of its original industry as well as its high end positioning (high prices)
permits a structurally high profit margin of 25%.
All the markets experimented a high growth rate and almost half of Botega
Veneta’s consumers are located in Asia ( 30% for Japan only) which is to be linked
with the recent development of the brand in this area : the opening of a flagship store
in Tokyo in 2005 and the Ghinza high luxury concept store in 2007.
Additional documentation:
WWD Press releases: 2010 - 2003
Bottega Veneta to Relaunch Web Site

by CATE T. CORCORAN - Posted TUESDAY JULY 6, 2010
A page from Bottega Veneta’s Web site.
Photo By Courtesy Photo
A page from Bottega Veneta’s Web site.
Photo By: Courtesy Photo
Whether it’s a Bottega Veneta store or the brand’s Web site, the look is surprisingly
similar: Small groups of carefully edited products stand out, spotlighted against a
plain, dark background.
That was the mood the company wanted to capture in a redesign of the Web site and
a new digital strategy that will bring the Web into the stores via flat-screen monitors
and the iPad.
“The idea behind it was to replicate the kind of impact and service we have in our
brick-and-mortar shops,” said Bottega Veneta chief executive officer Marco Bizzarri.
The new site started rolling out in late June, with more elements to follow this month.
It offers a fuller array of merchandise, including a larger selection of ready-to-wear,
than the old site, which was more classic in appearance with a beige background and
an emphasis on traditional woven-leather pieces.
Stories in the form of videos and slide shows communicate the values, craftsmanship
and design behind the brand. Creative director Tomas Maier’s collaborations, each
collection and how the bags are made are some of the topics.
When a visitor clicks on a look in the digital catalogue or look book, the still
photograph appears to come to life, as a video plays that shows the model strutting
down the catwalk.
Improved navigation, checkout and search features make the site easy to use.
Highlights of the collection are grouped by changing themes, such as “Tomas Maier’s
Picks,” “Essential Handbags” and “Our Favorite Accessories.” Related products, such
as other accessories in the same color, are suggested on the side. Shoppers can
view total looks (snapshots off the runway), and the individual items that make up
each style appear next to the runway photo.
The collection can be browsed by material, such as napa or silk, and scale, such as
small or large. Dedicated personal shoppers are available for consultation, and sales
associates can place items they suggest in a shopper’s profile.
The profiles are created by shoppers and also contain their address and shipping
information and a wish list.
The brand is moving into social media with a Facebook page, which makes its debut
later this month, and an archive of videos on YouTube. Each product has its own
Web address for easy sharing and searching. Later this month, sales associates in
the Fifth Avenue store will be equipped with iPads. The brand also plans to display
video in the store on flat-screen monitors.
The company realized the digital space was crucial when its site’s global traffic
surpassed the number of people coming into its physical stores. Bottega plans to roll
out e-commerce to Japan, the U.K. and Canada by the end of the year. Italy, France,
Germany and China will follow in 2011.
Mobile will be the next step, especially in Japan. Currently the site intro uses Flash,
but otherwise the site runs on mobile devices.
Digital agency Syrup, video company Code and Theory and search-engine-
optimization company Morpheus Media partnered with Bottega Veneta on site design
and content.
The site runs on e-commerce platform Demandware and orders are fulfilled out of
Gucci Group’s warehouse in Secaucus, N.J. Under the old setup, Bottega’s
boutiques shipped orders to customers. Bottega plans to start testing in-store pickup
in its Fifth Avenue store soon.
Bottega Veneta's Men's Line Finds its Stride

by EMILIE MARSH - Posted THURSDAY JULY 1, 2010
Bottega Veneta's new ad campaign breaks in September.
Bottega Veneta Men's RTW Spring 2011
Photo By: Mauricio Miranda
Bottega Veneta men’s collection has hit the ground running.
Although still in its infancy, the men’s line of PPR-owned Bottega Veneta is having a
growth spurt, according to creative director Tomas Maier.
After unveiling his traveling-man-themed spring men’s wear show last week, the
German designer, who joined Bottega Veneta in 2001, is gearing up for a flurry of
new projects, including the label’s first men’s-only advertising campaign in August
and a new men’s watch. Men’s-only stores and a men’s fragrance are also in the
works.
“Everything is in balance; it’s the right time for men’s wear,” Maier said in an interview
in the company’s pristine showroom in Milan a few days after the June runway show.
Added Marco Bizzarri, Bottega Veneta’s chief executive officer, “The category is
growing rapidly and there’s great potential for the future.”
While Bizzarri declined to break out Bottega Veneta’s men’s wear figures, the label
overall logged the strongest individual performance in PPR’s luxury portfolio, Gucci
Group, with a first-quarter sales increase of 9.5 percent.
Launched in 2004, Maier put men’s wear on the runway in 2006. Ever since, his
collections have won plaudits for textile research and vivid contrasts of structure and
fluidity.
Maier said he wanted to communicate that sense of precision in Bottega Veneta’s

first global advertising campaign for men, shot by Robert Longo, the American artist.
Longo drew inspiration from his “Men in the Cities” series, the late Seventies graphite
drawings that depict sharply dressed businessmen and women contorted in emotion-
packed positions.
“It is very dynamic, very sharp, very precise,” Maier explained. “It mixes different
elements. From the silhouette of the clothes and the eccentricity of the moment, as
well as the study of certain iconic pieces that are in the campaign, it reflects very
much what the Bottega man is about — a confident individual.”
The ad will run globally in select titles, including GQ, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker,
Vogue Hommes, L’Uomo Vogue and Brutus in September.
Central to Maier’s men’s aesthetic is functionality: real clothes for real men.
“Men’s clothing should be functional. I think as beautiful as it is, as beautiful as it

looks on a page of a magazine, it’s not functional if you don’t have a consumer,” he
said.
The Bottega Veneta men’s range currently includes ready-to-wear, accessories,

shoes, bags and jewelry. Timepieces are next. A unisex watch, dubbed BVX and
made by Sowind Group, owner of Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux, will hit select
Bottega Veneta stores by the end of the year, Maier said. A men’s fragrance could
follow, he added.
The watch features 18-karat rose-gold components, a brushed-titanium case and a

intrecciato crocodile strap with an adjustable clasp in the shape of the brand’s
signature belt buckle. In tune with the Bottega Veneta philosophy, the logo is not on
the face but engraved on one of the elements of the mechanism.
“Men are so different to seduce and conquer as a client. They’re much more difficult
than women. If you betray him and it doesn’t work, he’ll never come back. But once
you get them, they’ll stay with you. They’re more loyal,” he said.
To increase loyalty, Maier said he was in the process of considering a men’s-only
retail concept.
“I want the category to evolve, to provide more dedicated space and even more
dedicated stores to men’s categories,” Maier said, though he declined to provide a
time frame.
“We recently opened a men’s shop in Harrods, and we will continue to open shops in
appropriate locations as opportunities arise,” Bizzarri added. Bottega Veneta counts
135 stores worldwide. The company has opened a series of men’s-only sales points
in department stores including Harrods, which bowed last year.
As You Like It: Bottega Veneta Touts Custom Items

by Beth Wilson - Posted TUESDAY MAY 11, 2010
Bags from Bottega Veneta.
Photo By Karen Hoyt
CHICAGO — Bottega Veneta is more than willing to cater to a client’s special

request. The luxury brand has customized luggage to fit the hold of a client’s private
plane, created a handbag to match the color of her favorite lipstick, designed custom
wedding dresses and produced leather wall paneling for a client’s home.
Now the brand is taking its customization atelier on the road, visiting Chicago last
weekend, New York this Thursday through Saturday and Beverly Hills and Costa
Mesa, Calif., in July to offer clients a chance to select the shape, color, skin and
treatment of their Bottega handbag.
“Bottega Veneta has always offered customization but not all our customers know
about it,” said chief executive officer Marco Bizzari.
In turn, the brand, which launched its U.S. custom initiative here, is touting its mantra
“When Your Own Initials Are Enough,” and inviting select clients to meet one-on-one
with Italian representatives who oversee the brand’s atelier in Vicenze, Italy.
Shoppers can then create their own items, which may range from an $800 wallet or
$14,500 crocodile portfolio to the brand’s most intricate $80,000 handbag, all taking
between three and six months to craft.
“The project is a way to educate people about ways to make their favorite handbag
personal and unique,” Bizzari noted. “It has been interesting to see the creativity and
personal style of our customers. It helps us anticipate the kinds of products they
want.”
In Chicago, women arrived with personal stylists and friends in tow to flip through
Bottega’s swatch book, which shows different skins, colors and washes. For
example, shoppers opting for one of the brand’s iconic styles, the Cabat handbag,
could choose from 16 colors of crocodile skins presented in five washes.
Even regular clients needed extra time to evaluate their purchases, though. “When I
told her the price, she said, ‘Give me some Champagne!’” one stylist whispered. After
a few toasts, the shopper, who wore a Dior print dress and a Bottega bag retailing for
roughly $20,000, considered her options, consulted her friend and her stylist, who
noted, “That would be a great addition to your collection.” She eventually left the
store with a pair of Bottega shoes. Later that day, the customer called to order a
custom handbag in the neighborhood of $20,000.
Bizzari said the Windy City location at 800 North Michigan Avenue was a natural
place to kick off the custom events. “Chicago is a highly successful market for
Bottega Veneta,” he said. “It continues to perform well and we have a very loyal
clientele who purchased a lot throughout the years.”
Bottega held its first custom handbag event in London in February, unveiled the
concept in the U.S. this month and plans to conduct similar events in Hong Kong and
Seoul this fall.
Although the luxury brand indicated that custom orders represent a small portion of
sales, that percentage is growing, with custom furniture becoming an increasingly
important category.
PPR Reports Revenues Up 1.2 Percent

Posted WEDNESDAY APRIL 28, 2010
PARIS — PPR is out of the doldrums.
The retail-to-luxury group on Wednesday reported its first quarterly sales increase
since the start of the recession, saying revenues inched up 1.2 percent in the first
three months of the year, boosted by strong sales at Gucci Group.
First-quarter group sales totaled 4.12 billion euros, or $5.7 billion, versus 4.08 billion
euros, or $5.3 billion, in the same period a year earlier. Dollar figures are converted
at average exchange rates for the period.
“The sharp improvement in sales of all of our businesses in the first quarter provides
us with a solid platform to speed up revenue growth throughout the year,” PPR
chairman and chief executive officer François-Henri Pinault said. “We should deliver
a healthy progression in operating and financial performances in 2010.”
PPR chief financial officer Jean-François Palus noted in a conference call that the
consolidated sales increase followed five consecutive quarters of declines.
“Recovery was uneven in the world economy. The upturn in emerging countries is
robust and sustainable, notably in Asia. Most industrialized countries are no longer
on the decline, but growth remains sluggish there,” he said, noting the eurozone was
affected by the end of stimulus measures and high unemployment rates, while the
U.S. recovery was faster than in Europe.
“Our priority in 2010 is to fuel the momentum in top-line growth, and as we do this,
we continue to work hard on enhancing our growth margins. We are also focused on
tightly monitoring our working capital requirements, particularly inventories,” he said.
Sales at books and electronics retailer Fnac were up 2.4 percent in the quarter to
982.2 million euros, or $1.3 billion, while mail-order division Redcats logged revenue
of 843.7 million euros, or $1.2 billion, down 2.6 percent versus the same period in
2009. Sales at furniture chain Conforama were up 2.9 percent to 730.1 million euros,
or $1.0 billion, and Puma sales slipped 2.1 percent to 683.1 million euros, or $946.5
million. The Gucci Group division, which includes Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Yves
Saint Laurent, garnered revenues of 894.8 million euros, or $1.2 billion, up 4.7
percent from 854.8 million, or $1.1 billion, in the year-ago quarter. Bottega Veneta
logged the strongest individual performance, with a quarterly sales increase of 9.5
percent, while Gucci saw sales rise 3.8 percent.
Leather goods did particularly well at Gucci. Sales in directly operated stores rose 7
percent in the quarter while wholesale lagged, though Palus said he expected
wholesale to pick up in the latter half of the second quarter, given that orders for the
fall-winter collection were up by double-digits.
Gucci saw sales jump 37 percent in Greater China. Revenues increased 11 percent
in Western Europe but fell 9 percent in the U.S., partly because it failed to anticipate
the sharp rebound in demand there.
“We were quite surprised at the beginning of the quarter by the strength of the pickup
in demand in the U.S. and actually we didn’t always have the inventory on hand to
fully satisfy demand,” said Palus. “This has been adjusted swiftly with very good
performance in March and even better in April.”
Tomas Maier's Glittering Moscow Tour

by Miriam Elder - Posted FRIDAY MARCH 19, 2010
Bottega Veneta's Moscow clutch.
Nikolai Uskov, Tomas Maier and Aliona Doletskaya
Photo By: Miguel

MOSCOW — Tomas Maier, creative director at Bottega Veneta, spent only 24 hours
in Moscow on his first trip to the Russian capital.
Still, between parties and interviews Wednesday, he managed to make his way to the
Kremlin’s illustrious collection of jewels and diamonds, seeking inspiration from the
treasures that once belonged to Catherine the Great.
“I read about them for so long, I just didn’t want to miss it,” Maier said.
The designer was here to present a limited edition handbag inspired by imperial
Russian style. The snakeskin clutch, lined with bright purple suede and adorned with
an antique clasp, calls to mind the swirling malachite, which was a favorite of the
Russian imperial court’s interior design.
Maier said he first became enthralled with the style when living in Paris, as its antique
shops are filled with Russian luxury items of yore. The Bottega Veneta boutique on
Tretyakovsky Proezd, Moscow’s premier luxury shopping street, will stock 30
clutches, priced at 225,500 rubles, or $7,708 at current exchange, each.
After toasting the bag at a cocktail party at the Bottega Veneta boutique, Maier,
Bottega Veneta chief executive officer Marco Bizzarri and a small group of Russian
celebrities retired next door to Moscow’s Baccarat restaurant for an intimate dinner.
Bottega Veneta also was due to host a customization event this weekend at its
boutique at the Barvikha Luxury Village. “It’s a growing market and it’s very
sophisticated,” Maier said of Russia. “Women want something they can keep for a
long time, and maybe even pass on.”
Bottega Veneta Opens at CityCenter

by JEAN SCHEIDNES - Posted FRIDAY DECEMBER 18, 2009
Bottega Veneta has launched its third Las Vegas location, a 2,000-square-foot store
at CityCenter, the $8.5 billion resort, entertainment and retail development that
opened Thursday.
The new store will carry the entire line for women’s as well as men’s accessories, fine
jewelry, home, gifts and luggage.
“The store at CityCenter enables Bottega Veneta to extend the reach of our
unsurpassed service and unique shopping experience within an important luxury
goods market,” said Bottega Veneta president and chief executive officer Marco
Bizzarri.
Bottega Veneta will continue to operate its stores in Las Vegas at the Bellagio and
The Palazzo.
All three locations have been designed by creative director Tomas Maier to reflect the
brand’s core values of timeless design, modern functionality, craftsmanship and the
finest materials.
“Las Vegas is one of the most important luxury shopping destinations in the world,
and it is only natural that Bottega Veneta have a strong presence there,” Maier said.
The newest store, which had a soft opening last week, presents Bottega Veneta’s
collection in a comfortable and intimate environment. Muted, matte neutrals and earth
tones comprise the understated palette. Every component, from the handcrafted
vitrines to the door handles sheathed in leather, showcases Bottega Veneta’s
products.
There are vertical window louvers of palm wood and steel, finely crafted display
counters with sliding trays padded in Ultrasuede, mohair furniture upholstery and
custom-dyed, New Zealand wool carpets. The walls are also covered with
Ultrasuede.
Bottega's New CEO to Keep 'Winning Strategy'

by LUISA ZARGANI - Posted TUESDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2009
Marco Bizzarri
MILAN — Despite dramatic changes in the economy, trading down was not an option
for Bottega Veneta’s new chief executive officer, Marco Bizzarri, in his efforts to keep
building the luxury goods brand.
“No compromises — this is a winning strategy,” Bizzarri told WWD in his first
interview since being appointed in January. “Customers are more aware of quality
and are looking for long-lasting purchases — also because of their changed
shopping habits.”
Speaking at Bottega Veneta’s new 108,000-square-foot headquarters here, Bizzarri

said, “There’s no tried-and-true formula to adapt to a brand.”
And his understated, informal style — getting acclimated to the brand before
discussing strategies publicly — fits well with the company he heads.
“There has to be a transitional period of 10 to 12 months before you can see any
result,” said Bizzarri, wearing a charcoal tailored suit with peaked shoulders.
The headquarters space, with interiors by the brand’s creative director, Tomas Maier,
houses showrooms, offices, a cafeteria and a theater for the brand’s runway shows.
It is a tangible sign of Bottega Veneta’s growth into one of the more profitable brands
under the Gucci Group umbrella, but Bizzarri’s arrival coincided with the global
recession. He conceded that the last quarter of 2008 was “very heavy” for Bottega
Veneta, which reported a 2.3 percent drop in sales to 102.2 million euros, or $150.2
million, compared with the same period in 2007. Revenues for full year in 2008,
however, were up 9.8 percent to 402 million euros, or $591 million, compared with
2007, accounting for 11.9 percent of Gucci Group sales. Recurring operating income
in 2008 totaled 100.7 million euros, or $148 million, up 9.2 percent compared with the
previous year.
Dollar figures were converted from euros at the average exchange rates for the
periods to which they refer.
“This was a successful, well-managed company when I joined it, but the crisis put
everything in discussion,” said Bizzarri, the ceo of Stella McCartney before replacing
Patrizio di Marco, who was named as ceo of Gucci when Mark Lee stepped down at
the end of 2008. The McCartney label is also owned by Gucci Group.
“The market in general is picking up and I’m cautiously optimistic,” said Bizzarri,
noting total sales through the end of September were in line with revenues in the
same period last year, dropping 0.2 percent to 299.2 million euros, or $408.7 million.
“The market has contracted and changed, but luxury has not vanished and will
continue to exist, although there no longer is a spending orgy.”
Bottega Veneta fits in with the customer’s quest for value, Bizzarri said.
“The average price per purchase has not dropped, which proves this point,” he
observed, adding the brand’s more “timeless” pieces, such as the Cabat or Knot bags
continue to be best-selling items. Retail prices range from $1,550 for the medium-
sized iconic Veneta bag in intrecciato nappa leather to $3,080 for the Roma and
$78,000 for the large Cabat in Cocco Lavè.
“We decided we would not compromise on pricing, which reflects the costs of
workmanship and materials,” Bizzarri said, noting continuous pieces are never
discounted. A secondary line is not on the agenda.
With Maier, Bizzarri initiated a new supply process that has maintained the
company’s workforce despite the different seasonal peaks in production — all without
asking for government financial support.
“Tomas illustrates the materials and themes of the collections and we launch our
production before the sales campaign even begins, collaborating with our
laboratories,” explained Bizzarri, noting 80 percent of revenues derive from Bottega
Veneta’s own stores.
Despite the risks connected to stocking merchandise, production is linked to the

orders. “The process is more centralized and more coordinated, and all functions are
connected, from visual displays to advertisement and nothing is left to the last
minute,” Bizzarri said.
The executive praised Maier for his “unique and clear vision” and his “creativity but
also his quick understanding of the business.” The designer “knows what is
happening in the market,” said Bizzarri, describing the relationship with Maier as “a
dream.”
The designer was equally positive about his rapport with Bizzarri. “I am enjoying
working with Marco as I find him to be quite enthusiastic, dynamic, and a strong
manager with terrific people skills,” Maier said. “He respects the DNA of the brand
and understands the vision.”
In a cost-cutting move, Bizzarri decided stocks should be managed centrally rather

than regionally.
“Carry-over and seasonal products are shipped from central distribution centers to
regional ones fulfilling short-term requests and avoiding overstocking for carry-over
merchandise while maintaining time-to-market,” Bizzarri said.
This move has accelerated deliveries, reduced circulating capital and inventory levels
overall and created cash to invest, for example, in the opening of stores. In 2009,
Bottega launched five stores in Korea, two in Hong Kong, and flagships in Beijing,
Macao and Shanghai. The company has a total of 131 directly operated stores and
26 franchisees. The brand is also available at 350 points of sale globally.
Bizzarri said he was “very happy” with the performance of the brand in the U.S.,
where it posted double-digit growth in September and where it plans to open a new
store in Las Vegas in early 2010.
“We’ve more than recovered the losses from the beginning of the year,” said Bizzarri,
who attributed these gains to the “purity” of the brand and the company’s focus on
retail experience and service. The U.S. accounted for almost 16 percent of sales in
2008. The company is increasing its workforce in the U.S. as it invests in its e-
commerce component. Bottega’s e-commerce site launched in 2005, but the
company is gearing up to unveil a second generation site in the first part 2010.
A new e-business dedicated team implemented some technical changes and

adjustments on the existing site in July. The changes, which allowed faster features,
a wider-yet-more-focused product range on display and improved images, led to
triple-digit growth over the three following months, showing the potential of the web
as a retail channel, Bizzarri said. No figures were disclosed.
The brand is sold in 32 countries, but Bizzarri said it is still unavailable in South
America. “There still are areas with a lot of potential that we can develop,” he said.
“Our focus now is on China and Asia, as these are the areas that are growing more
quickly and the Asia-Pacific region has overtaken Japan in the third quarter of 2009.”
In the third quarter, the Asia-Pacific region, excluding Japan, accounted for 28
percent of sales, while Japan accounted for 27 percent of revenues. Asia-Pacific
grew 51 percent in the third quarter of 2009 compared with the third quarter of 2008.
The company also increased marketing in the second half of the year, opening up to
advertising in newspapers for the first time to cast a wider net and expand brand
awareness.
“Our effort is to communicate the artisanal quality of our goods,” Bizzarri said.
In order to secure trained and skilled craftspeople, Bottega Veneta in 2006 set up a
three-year educational program for aspiring luxury handbag makers in Vicenza, Italy,
where the company was founded and is based. Most of its students have been hired
by the company, Bizzarri said. The school’s next session will being in 2011.
Coming up next, Maier is set on adding a licensed Bottega Veneta fragrance,

although there is nothing definite yet, Bizzarri said.
“This will be the brand’s first fragrance ever,” he said. “For this reason, we are
carefully evaluating the project.”
Posted Sunday June 21, 2009
Bottega Veneta Men's RTW Spring 2010
Bottega Veneta Men's Spring 2010
Tomas Maier is all for real clothes for real men, but who said guys can’t have some
fun, too? The designer decided men “need more excitement," which he delivered via
new shapes, sanguine colors and bold prints. If anyone can design tie-dye pinstripe
jackets, pink sweaters or a red suit in a maple leaf motif - and make it appeal to the
regular guy - Maier can. “We wanted to offer clothes that are particularly
individualistic. Changing the shape of the pants and breaking the silhouette with color
add an energy, even a brashness, that feels invigorating,” Maier said of his show at
Bottega's new headquarters on Via Privata E. Marelli. Neapolitan-tailored jackets
were paired with crisp linen trousers that tapered into a narrow cuff, some cinched
with an elastic to better show off glossy loafers. While there were strong-shouldered
suits, and even a few double-breasted tuxedo jackets, a luxurious beachcomber look
prevailed, with degradé sweaters, sumptuous leather bombers and feather-light safari
coats in military green among standout looks in a bold and beautiful collection.
Posted Wednesday June 10, 2009
Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga Open in Shanghai
Bottega Veneta opened its seventh store in China.
Gucci Group is busy in Shanghai these days.
The luxury goods group has within a matter of weeks opened stores for its brands
Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and Gucci — the latter two opening last week.
Bottega Veneta opened its seventh store in China at Shanghai’s Golden Eagle
Shopping Plaza last month, the same mall where the Gucci brand last week opened
a 17,000-square-foot flagship. Covering 4,406 square feet, the Bottega Veneta store,
designed by creative director Tomas Maier, carries all the brand’s collections
including women’s and men’s wear, leather goods, footwear and accessories.
Maier said he was “very pleased” with the company’s “continuous developments in
this important market. This is a significant step towards our objective of offering the
entire range of Bottega Veneta products and exquisite shopping experience to more
customers in Mainland China.”
To mark the opening, Maier created a limited edition bag named the Shanghai Duette
in copper ostrich.
Balenciaga now operates 26 directly owned stores and 17 franchises, in addition to
its wholesale distribution.
Posted Tuesday April 14, 2009
Bergdorf Expands the World of Bottega Veneta
Bergdorf’s cross-merchandises Bottega Veneta ready-to-wear and home.
Bergdorf Goodman is having a Bottega Veneta moment and hoping recession-weary

shoppers feel it, too.
While the Italian brand and its signature “intrecciato” weave cast an understated
aura, there’s nothing subtle about the Bergdorf presentation. The Fifth Avenue store
has created a “World of Bottega Veneta” showcasing the brand’s burgeoning
assortment.
Existing in-store shops for Bottega Veneta women’s and men’s fashions, jewelry and
handbags have been buttressed by temporary installations on the main floor, in the
Fifth Avenue windows and in the men’s store all cross-merchandising the range of
home and fashion products.
Also, on Bergdorf’s seventh floor for decorative home, the loft area, which normally
houses an array of brands, is devoted exclusively to Bottega Veneta, aside from a
settee and a few other elements that complete the tableau.
Collaborative efforts are displayed, such as handblown glass done with Murano,
porcelain with KPM, armchairs in association with Poltrona Frau, as well as consoles
in gunmetal or calfskin print, a folding camp bed, lamps with linen shades, a folding
screen doubling as a headboard, pencil trays, photo frames and other desk
accessories.
The Fifth Avenue windows will be on view through April 22, while the seventh and
main floor installations will remain through May 31. All of the elements were in place
last week.
To mark the partnership, a cocktail reception for Tomas Maier, Bottega Veneta’s
creative director since 2001 who has led the buildup of the 43-year-old, $535 million
brand into a lifestyle collection, will be held at the women’s store tonight.
“For me, the core of the company is always the leather goods and that is where I
started, what I concentrated on,” Maier said in an interview. “Over the years and
seasons, the assortment grew but always in an organic way, never with a plan to
market this or that. It has been more about the client — what clients requested.”
New products had to relate to what was presented before, and there’s a continuity,
i.e. leather furniture inspired by the luggage and the weave leitmotif. With belts, Maier
explained, “Why would we do them before we had pants? Just because we were
doing leather goods? No. If I sell pants, then I need belts to hold up the pants.
“Our relation with Bergdorf Goodman has been a very organic evolution as well. The
relationship grew over years, over seasons and seasons. It started at some point with
the bags, which became a bit bigger over time. More leather goods were added. At
some point, they decided to buy shoes, later ready-to-wear for men and then women.
It just grew.”
The Bergdorf strategy, marking the first time all things Bottega Veneta are in one
place other than the brand’s own boutiques, is a clear sign that even battling the
recession, the retailer can’t resist flaunting high luxury.
The store went so far as to have Maier do an exclusive interpretation of Bottega

Veneta’s Fenice handbag, in handwoven oxidized deerskin with the weave pattern.
The limited edition bag, with a price tag of $2,700, sold out in a few weeks.
With prices, Bergdorf’s doesn’t flinch. Bottega Veneta’s large library table costs
$25,600, while the 18-karat yellow gold bracelet with a pavé diamond clasp retails for
$56,900. There are also $5,479 sfera drop earrings in 18-karat yellow gold, $6,800
copper nappa bags, and caramel jacquard dresses for $6,800.
Prices do descend, with crepe dresses around $3,000, sandals in the $1,000 range
and men’s pants starting at around $1,000.
Bottega Veneta does provide a range, from exotic skin bags to others in canvas;
bags that are woven or partially woven. “That is very, very important. I can get the
price down,” Maier said. “But it’s nothing new.
It’s not a reaction” to the recession. There are also $30 votives and $150 bow ties,
while the iconic knot clutches in leather retail from $1,880 to $2,750.
Bergdorf and Bottega managements believe the brand embodies true luxury and
investment dressing, justifying the prices. Some might also consider that, in
challenging economic times, Bottega Veneta becomes a more socially acceptable
purchase, rather than something flashy or fleeting in style.
In the Bottega Veneta vernacular, bling is a bad word. It’s about refinement,
workmanship and classic styles.
“For us, nothing has ever changed in the product. It’s something that is logo-less,
about quality, and about lasting design not in your face,” said Maier. “I tell my clients
you don’t need to replace this bag, this is good design, quality, great make.
Something which is lasting, not a disposable fashion product of the season. We

never talk about a fashion bag or an ‘It’ bag. For me it’s all nonsense. What’s an ‘It’
bag? It’s like a marketing product.” He said it’s nice to see one of his products on a
magazine cover. “But to see a woman wearing the dress makes much more sense.
“When our clients come to our stores, they look very carefully, then they get
interested,” Maier continued. “They like to hear about the product. Does that mean
they buy that day? No. They think about it because it is an investment. It’s money.
It’s about something you [really] want. Not that quick impulsive buy. It’s very
important to give as much information to the client to understand how the product is
made — the craft behind it, the human hand in it.
That is what makes us move. People involved in representing and selling the product
can be trained and can learn about the product.”
Added Linda Fargo, Bergdorf’s senior vice president, fashion office and store
presentation: “The term luxury has been applied loosely to too many products over
the years, but when you have an opportunity to examine anything from the studios of
Bottega Veneta and obtain the service that Bergdorf Goodman can offer, you will
understand what true luxury can be.
That is what we hope our clients will experience through this event. The strength of
our business together proves that product with intrinsic value, timeless design,
excellence in craftsmanship and the ability for a client to express their individuality
through their choices are important to consumers right now. Bottega Veneta is
definitely about lasting value and beauty and that’s a quality to which we believe
people are drawn, especially now.”
Maier believes that in fashion retailing generally, “I think everything needs to be out
there — all kinds of products. Some people love logos. Some love glitzy, and that’s
all fine. All have a reason to be there. But I have always believed there are people
that don’t want that.”
For the future, “I am interested in working on fragrance. Definitely. Timepieces too.”

He also wants to explore more home furnishings, including flatwear, which isn’t
offered yet, and more seating.
“It is really important to diversify,” Maier said of the brand, which is owned by Gucci
Group, though apparently there’s no urgency to speed the product production. “I
don’t feel pressured,” he said.
“This all grows out of instinct and demand, and the feeling I have. Like any product it
depends on the collaboration, who you are working together with. You want the other
side to bring the same kind of expertise and integrity. You need to take a lot of time to
meet all kinds of different people out there.”
Posted Monday March 02, 2009
Scent of Leather: Manuel Puig at Bottega Veneta
SCENT OF LEATHER: Manuel Puig, Nina Ricci president and a scion of the Puig
fragrance empire, took in the Bottega Veneta show Saturday morning, but waved
away the rumor wafting through the room: Could a Bottega Veneta perfume be in the
offing?
“I’m here just to say hello to Tomas,” he insisted, referring to Bottega’s designer
Tomas Maier, adding, “He’s doing a good job here.”
Asked if fragrance could be a near-term project for Bottega, chief executive Marco
Bizzarri said, “We’re keeping our eyes open.”
Preempting further speculation, Puig said he would also attend the Marni show
because his wife operates four Marni stores in Spain.
Posted Wednesday November 12, 2008
Go Your Own Way
Patrizio di Marco, Bottega Veneta
Call Patrizio di Marco the designated optimist of the luxury goods world.
In the face of the current banking and housing crises, weakening retail sales and
ebbing consumer confi dence, the Bottega Veneta president and chief executive
officer has a confidently sunny forecast for the Gucci Group-owned brand.
“I’m not concerned at all, honestly,” he said of the outlook for 2009, noting Bottega
Veneta has been healthy in the U.S. and growing in Japan, despite the contracting
luxury market there.
Di Marco’s optimistic attitude is bolstered by the success he’s achieved over the past
seven years, during which he’s transformed the Bottega Veneta brand. That track
record has earned him a new gig: president and ceo of Gucci Group’s crown jewel,
Gucci, which di Marco will join on Jan. 1, succeeding Mark Lee, who is leaving the
company.
Di Marco’s formula for success at Bottega Veneta? A clear vision for the brand, along
with leadership that allowed his team to seamlessly execute that vision. Di Marco
emphasized the two themes of vision and leadership during his presentation, using
Bottega Veneta’s turnaround as a case study to highlight his points.
“Broadly speaking, the challenges the luxury industry has experienced in the past
year have been important lessons to everyone,” noted di Marco. “Companies are
learning that they can achieve improvements in every field. Thus, I believe that today,
in general, the luxury industry is better prepared to deal with challenges than in the
past.
I do not want to be overconfident or bullish, but at Bottega we already had to face a
great deal of challenges back in 2001. The future will be tough, but we believe that in
the past seven years, we have laid down a strong foundation for brand growth and
profitability.”
Since 2001, Bottega Veneta sales have grown more than tenfold — from 35.2 million
euros, or $31.6 million, in the year Gucci Group acquired the brand, to 366.1 million
euros, or $499 million, in 2007. (Currency conversions are at average exchange
rates; the growth multiple is higher in U.S. dollars since the euro gained strength
during this period.)
Perhaps even more impressive has been the growth of earnings before interest and
taxes — from 14 million euros, or $12.6 million, and an operating margin of 9 percent
in 2001 to 92 million euros, or $125.4 million, and an operating margin of 25 percent
in 2007.
In February 2001, Gucci Group acquired Bottega Veneta, a company founded by two
artisans in 1966 and known for its signature “intrecciato” leather bags. In May of that
year, di Marco was recruited from Celine, where he was president of U.S. operations,
to join Bottega Veneta as chief operating officer.
The following month, he was promoted to ceo, while at the same time, Tomas Maier
was tapped as the brand’s creative director, thereby setting up Bottega Veneta for its
reinvention.
“Seven years ago, we were given the mission to bring Bottega Veneta back into the
luxury world,” recalled di Marco. “It was a brand that had achieved success in the
Sixties and Seventies as an expression of high quality, discreet elegance and
craftsmanship.
A brand that had opened its fi rst store in 1972 on Madison Avenue in New York.
That brand had to become synonymous with exclusivity and quality and position itself
at the top of the luxury market. That was a tough call.”
Why tough? Because when di Marco assumed leadership of the company, Bottega
Veneta had strayed from its roots and diluted its brand DNA by embracing a flashier,
less luxurious identity.
“By 2001, Bottega Veneta was a discouraging expression of logos all over; the
opposite of the discreet elegance it used to stand for,” he explained.
“A total lack of class. Somewhat fashionable, but absolutely vulgar. Back in 2001 we
had very little to work on. Nothing was left of the old archives. The brand was
seriously compromised and the company virtually bankrupt.”
Di Marco and Maier set out to create a “clear vision on how to reposition Bottega”
and “take it to the top of the craftsmanship axis.” The duo emphasized the highest
quality production values, product innovation and no logos in Bottega Veneta’s
collections.
The execution of the new vision focused on leather goods, and the company pumped
resources and life into the headquarters in Vicenca, Italy, after years of neglect. “We
created the conditions to let creative talent flourish throughout the organization,
sustained by a solid business model,” said di Marco.
Apart from product, the ceo decided that focusing on owned retail was the best way
to convey the values of the brand and offer the highest level of service to customers.
Since 2001, Bottega Veneta has expanded its network of freestanding stores from 21
to 127 expected by the end of this year.
Leather goods remain the core of the business, but the brand has expanded to
encompass men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, fashion jewelry, fine jewelry
and more.
“The clarity of the vision and its disciplined execution has paid off,” said di Marco,
noting that the Luxury Institute in New York has named Bottega Veneta the first or
second most prestigious brand in the U.S. for the past three years. “The brand that
we have now is the highest expression of timeless elegance and discreet luxury.”
With the benefit of hindsight, di Marco’s strategy for Bottega Veneta seems hard to
quibble with, but he pointed out that many of his decisions could have been risky
when he made them.
“To me, vision is first and foremost the ability to see with absolute clarity where you
want to go, and understand the values you can count on to build or rebuild the soul of
a brand,” he explained.
“Vision is about being brave and sticking to your long-term view. And go, if necessary,
without ever compromising your integrity, against the prevailing trends in the market,
no matter how difficult the environment is.”
For example, while Bottega Veneta chose to forgo logos and let its product speak for
itself, the prevailing trend in 2001 and years following was to have a logo.
What’s more, the brand emphasized limited edition, timeless products during an era
when competing brands were pushing “It” bags that went in and out of fashion in a
single season.
Also, while the dominant trend was to offer heavily merchandised collections at
different price points, Bottega Veneta instead offered collections of items that were
unique.
And while the trend was toward industrial production, Bottega Veneta focused on
handmade pieces. All of this, moreover, was done without heavy ad spending, with di
Marco instead relying on word of mouth and the growing network of stores to relay
the brand message.
“Vision is also about having the right intuition and understanding of how consumer
behavior may change. A great deal of Bottega’s success is based on understanding
the importance of individuality to our consumers,” noted di Marco.
“There is a growing sense of individuality in consumers who are more confident in

their own taste and less reliant on the brand name. There is also the growing
resistance to owning the same product as everyone else, as a reaction to luxury
brands having become too accessible.”
This is true even in Japan, pointed out di Marco, explaining the stereotype of the
logo-mad Japanese betrays an ignorance of the market. “Yes, the logo has played a
fundamental role in the luxury industry in Japan because — it may sound like a
paradox — it was something that could identify you as a unique person, but also
something that could make you belong to a group.
That was fundamentally behind the huge success of Vuitton and Gucci and Chanel.
But Japan and Japanese society has changed. You had this horrible term for
‘parasite singles,’ or girls in their early- and mid-20s living at home, with no rent or
bills, spending all their money on luxury brands and logos.
But they’ve grown up and got married and they have other things in mind. In this
context, Bottega was the new kid on the block and speaking a language that none of
the other brands was speaking, and explains the success of the company there.”
Di Marco added that reports of Japan’s deteriorating luxury market are overblown. “I
understand why we all keep talking about China because we need to have the next
star, but we are all talking like Japan is a quasi-dead market,” he noted. “I think this is
a capital mistake. Japan is and will stay a fashion leader in the region.”
Still, one of di Marco’s PowerPoint slides emphasized that during a challenging time
for luxury brands in today’s economy, emerging markets are expected to drive growth
in the global marketplace, particularly the BRIC countries — Brazil, Russia, India and
China.
In 2007, China’s luxury goods market was 4.5 billion euros, or $6.13 billion, (2.7
percent of the worldwide market); over the next five years, the luxury goods market
there is expected to post a 30 percent compound annual growth rate.
Russia’s luxury goods market was 3.6 billion euros, or $4.91 billion, in 2007 (2.1
percent of the worldwide market); over the next five years its CAGR is pegged at 20
percent.
Brazil’s luxury goods market was 1.3 billion euros, or $1.77 billion, in 2007 (0.8
percent of the worldwide market); its CAGR for the next five years is estimated at 35
percent. India’s luxury market was 600 million euros, or $817.9 million, in 2007 (0.4
percent of the worldwide market); its five-year CAGR should be 25 percent.
Beyond conjuring up a clear vision for a company, a ceo has to execute that vision
via his employees.
To paraphrase Barbra Streisand, ceo’s are people who need people, were what di
Marco seemed to be driving home. “Bottega would not represent a success story if
Tomas had not been there and if this talent had not been given the freedom to
express itself,” he said.
“Bottega would not have represented success if the artisans had not been challenged
to express the wonders and magic they are capable of. Ultimately, Bottega is the
story of its people, of their work ethic and integrity, and their courage to go against
the mainstream.”
Posted Wednesday August 06, 2008
Bottega Veneta to Open in Northwest

Bottega Veneta has decided to open its first store in the Pacific Northwest at The
Shops at The Bravern, a luxury complex scheduled to open in Bellevue, Wash., in
September 2009.
Neiman Marcus also is opening its first store in the Pacific Northwest at The Bravern,
as previously announced. Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo and Red Door Spa also
recently announced their intentions to open there.
“Bottega Veneta epitomizes the character of The Bravern in its commitment to

fashion design, extraordinary craftsmanship and personal service,” said Tom
Woodworth, senior investment director with Schnitzer West, developer of The
Bravern, which will be Bellevue’s only outdoor upscale lifestyle shopping complex.
The Pacific Northwest is considered America’s last bastion of affluence that’s

relatively untapped by luxury retailers.
Bottega Veneta sells in select specialty and department stores worldwide,

complemented by a growing number of company-owned boutiques. The luxury goods
company had 113 stores at the end of 2007, 20 of which were located in the U.S.
Currently under construction and scheduled for completion next year, The Bravern
will feature an “outdoor village” with “arrival courts” and European-style piazzas. The
1.6 million-square-foot development will include 305,000 square feet of retail and
restaurants anchored by a 125,000-square-foot Neiman Marcus.
There also will be two office buildings, which have been fully leased to Microsoft for
its new headquarters, and a subterranean garage, accommodating 2,300 Microsoft
employees, and between 300 and 500 workers in the stores and service facilities.
There also will be two residential condominium towers on the site.
Published: Monday, July 14, 2008

Stephanie D. Smith
BOTTEGA KNIGHT:
Each season Bottega Veneta partners with a new photographer — Annie Leibovitz
and Philip-Lorca de Corcia are a few notable names from the past. For the fall
campaign, British photographer Nick Knight got the call from creative director Tomas
Maier and the collaboration has produced a unique perspective on the collection.
"Nick emphasizes the process of creating images, which is similar to the way I
approach design," said Maier. "I have followed his work for years and have always
admired his sense of adventure."
The images were shot in several parts, which began with models posing in front of a
white background. The backdrop was created using colors from the collection, drawn
from the night sky, with photography and digital manipulation that evokes the period
from dusk to dawn.
To complete the process the figures were arranged on a canvas to "achieve an

intriguing composition that hints at a narrative." Similar to past seasons, a short video
will be posted on Bottega Veneta's Web site, to highlight the collaboration between
Maier, Knight and the models.
More recently, the brand has begun to shift its advertising focus to shelter titles and
publications that reach a dual audience. The spokeswoman said the budget for
advertising continues to grow annually but declined to provide more details. Images
will run in Elle Decor, The New Yorker, The New York Times and WSJ., in addition to
titles in France, the U.K., Germany, Singapore, Japan and Spain.
Published: Monday, June 16, 2008

Bottega Veneta Tops Social Status Poll
By Valerie Seckler
It's not showy, nor is it splashed with logos. But its perception as distinctive, elegant
and less than ubiquitous has lifted Bottega Veneta to the top of the Luxury Institute's
just-released list of designer brands accorded the highest social status by affluent
consumers.
"Bottega is subtle and inconspicuous — and paradoxically has gotten some press for
this," Milton Pedraza, chief executive officer of the Luxury Institute, observed of the
brand that topped the poll for the second straight year. "You know it if you're in the
know. It's for people who aren't looking to impress others."
Bottega was awarded the top slot in a May poll by the Luxury Institute of 1,600 adults
with a minimum annual income of $150,000, including 818 women.
Much of this affluent crowd, Pedraza said, are from middle- and lower-income
backgrounds, with self-made financial fortunes, and "do not want to be seen as an
ostentatious, avaricious group."
Indeed, Bottega Veneta was only the 24th most-familiar luxury name of the 25 ranked
as most prestigious in the Luxury Institute report. (Best known was Calvin Klein,
which was number 25 on the social status scale.)
As for other brands on the social status list, Valentino was ranked second, followed
by Prada, Chanel and Hermès. Giorgio Armani was in sixth place, with Versace,
Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Louis Vuitton rounding out the top 10.
Brands like Bottega Veneta and Hermès, Pedraza said, have a presence as "classic
brands, not just trends of a season, like an 'It' bag. They are seen as having lasting
value."
Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008

Block Party
For Tomas Maier, Bottega Veneta's resort collection is about a state of mind, and a
bold one at that, as he sent out a lineup of effortlessly chic looks in saturated hues.
Here, a color-blocked jersey top and leather skirt.
"Gather ye pleats while ye may" could be the tongue-in-cheek theme of the latest
resort lineups as designers use those details on relaxed silhouettes. At Bottega
Veneta, Tomas Maier offers slouchy jackets paired with cropped pants.
For Réyes, José Ramón Reyes keeps his looks similarly loose and chic, taking
inspiration from Girl and Boy Scouts, with plenty of pleated shorts and pants and
colorful bow blouses.
On the other end of the spectrum, Peter Som takes his quirky girl on a trip to India.
Opulent embroidery, layered-tier hems and a whimsical mix of fabrics adds up to an
eclectic collection that juxtaposes feminine luxe and sporty ease.
Published: Friday, May 16, 2008

Starstruck: Bottega Veneta Opens Boutique in Cannes
By Alessandra Ilari
Bottega Veneta is using the allure of the Cannes Film Festival by inaugurating its
new boutique on Boulevard de la Croisette in Cannes, France, on Wednesday.
The 648-square foot space was designed by the fashion house's creative director
Tomas Maier and houses handbags, footwear, jewelry, small leather goods and
home accessories.
The store features aerodynamic, vertical window louvers made from palm wood and
steel, Ultrasuede covered walls, mohair upholstery and custom-dyed, pure New
Zealand wool carpets.
"We are pleased to open a new store on one of the most beautiful boulevards in
France," said Maier. "Cannes has always been one of the most sought after
destinations and we are pleased to be able to finally accommodate our clients who
travel there."
The store will also be home to "The Knot: A Retrospective," a traveling exhibition
celebrating the 30th anniversary of the brand's iconic clutch that will later land in
Bottega Veneta flagships worldwide.
The exhibition will display over 50 versions of the small, rounded box clutch, which
upon Maier's arrival in 2001, was enriched with a small leather knot that spurred its
name. Since then, new renditions appear in every Bottega Veneta collection.
The range goes from the Jardin Knot, made with a profusion of leather blossoms to
the Art Deco-inspired versions in sterling silver and faceted onyx. Many styles are
limited to only 25 pieces.
Maier said that one of the biggest challenges when organizing the retrospective was
digging out pieces from the Eighties and Nineties since the former Bottega Veneta
owners didn't keep an archive. "We had to research in vintage stores and private
collections," he said.
Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Dramatic Eyes at Bottega Veneta
By Stephanie Epiro
A shimmering violet, upticked liner stole the spotlight backstage at Bottega Veneta.
But the eyeliner was more upbeat punk than dark and moody, à la Amy Winehouse.
Pat McGrath dubbed the dramatic makeup accent “ultrafeminine” and made it the
focal point of the face.
Groomed brows, black mascara and white eyeliner on the inside bottom lash line
complemented the look, while foundation and concealer evened out skin tone. A bit
of Nars’ Copacabana shimmer highlighted the brow bone. Inspired by Victorian
hairstyles, Orlando Pita created a high, backcombed updo that sprouted fine
wayward pieces of hair.
The look was adapted for each model but the elongated silhouette remained the
same; some girls sported French twists and others a pair of rolls that swept into each
other. Pita used the yet-to-be-launched T3 hair polish serum mixed with T3 Plump —
a volume-adding cream — to soften and prep the hair.
Published: Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Frames of Reference
Designers are channeling an eclectic mix of inspirations, not to mention generations,

for their latest pre-fall collections. Bottega Veneta's Tomas Maier focuses on
lightweight fabrics such as paper-thin napa and cotton poplin. Giambattista Valli,
meanwhile, muses on an artist's companion, such as Alba Clemente, using brush-
stroke prints on soft silk pieces.
Alberta Ferretti looks to the Eighties rap music scene, playing with chunky gold chain
details on her floaty frocks. She's keeping the frontier in mind for her Philosophy di
Alberta Ferretti lineup, showing looks with a homespun feel.
Published: Monday, December 17, 2007

Bottega Veneta Focusing on Luxe-Hungry Markets
By Luisa Zargani
MILAN — Bottega Veneta is looking east for business and steadily expanding its
retail network into new markets such as Turkey, Lithuania, Ukraine, Bahrain, Saudi
Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
In common with many of its competitors, the brand is also turning to India, China and
Russia, reaching out to deep-pocketed customers hungry for luxury goods. Although
logoed products are still a big draw in those countries, the more understated Bottega
Veneta is undeterred, according to Patrizio Di Marco, chief executive officer of the
company.
"Our brand awareness is still limited globally, even in the more mature markets," said
Di Marco in an exclusive interview. "However, we bank on a very clear and definite
positioning: luxury — period."
The strategy has built Bottega Veneta into one of the more successful subsidiaries
under the Gucci Group umbrella. Sales grew to 267 million euros, or $385.3 million at
average exchange, last year, which would have been a 68.7 percent rise in sales at
constant exchange.
By the end of this year, Bottega Veneta will have 110 directly operated stores, up
from 21 in 2001 when Gucci Group acquired the brand. In addition, there are 14
franchised stores in markets where partners are required, such as in the Middle East.
Retail sales account for 85 percent of revenues, with wholesale making up the rest.
"Since early on, we thought it was best to rely on our own stores because we believe
this type of product needs its own ambience," said Di Marco. "I know [our competitors
also] say that, but I think it's simply stating facts for us. Stores are a means to
communicate, rather than investing heavily in ad campaigns, for example."
Earlier this year, the company opened boutiques in China, in Shanghai and Beijing,
and in Ukraine, in Kiev, followed in the fall by stores in Moscow, Dubai, Mumbai and
Vilnius, Lithuania.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for Bottega Veneta," said creative director Tomas
Maier upon the opening. "Vilnius is a dynamic city on the verge of even greater things,
and we're excited to be a part of it and better service the local client."
As for Kiev, Maier described it as a "fast-growing city with an incredible history."
Ten more stores are scheduled to open next year, including one in Qatar in March.
Di Marco said he was "very satisfied" with the company's retailing strategy,
underscoring the focus on Eastern European countries. "We take note of
macroeconomic data: These are countries that are growing at a 5 to 10 percent rate
each year," said the executive.
"We are also counting on China, which, over the past four or five years, has become
increasingly more sophisticated and has expanded its purchase range from the hard-
core luxury gifts of the past — watches and jewelry — and from a male-dominated
customer base."
The approach in India, where the company this fall opened its first store in Mumbai at
the country's first luxury mall, the Galleria, is more cautious and gradual.
"We are evaluating different opportunities, studying the response, talking to our
partner [Murjani Group] and learning as much as possible about the country," said Di
Marco, adding there are still thorny issues such as high taxes on imported goods and
a lack of real estate opportunities in India.
Di Marco, however, dismissed any cliché about customers from Russia, China and
India as the new rich merely looking for flashy products. "Culturally, they have such a
taste for beauty — let's not forget about Fabergé eggs, or the Great Wall and the
maharajahs," he said.
Unlike many of its competitors, which recently have taken to differentiating their
boutiques depending on the locations, Bottega Veneta's stores are the same concept
worldwide, featuring a number of iconic elements: walnut tables, handcrafted vitrines,
door handles sheathed in leather, mohair furniture upholstery, pure New Zealand
wool carpets and walls covered with Asahi bookcloth.
"We adapt the model to the existing space, though," noted Di Marco. "If there is a
beautiful staircase, we work on enhancing it, not hiding it."
Geographically, the markets are well balanced. At the end of last year, Asia,
excluding Japan, and the U.S. each accounted for 20 percent of sales. There are 18
stores in the U.S., and Bottega Veneta plans to open a second shop in Las Vegas
next month. Europe, which at the company includes the Middle East, Russia and
India, accounted for 30 percent of revenues, as did Japan.
"Asia will weigh more and more in terms of sales, but Japan remains one of the most
important markets despite the recession, where we've seen an explosion of growth in
the last three years, without events, discounts or special communication campaigns,"
said Di Marco. "Every year, Bottega Veneta has continuously shown a double-digit
growth in Japan."
In the first quarter of this year, sales in Japan grew 57 percent; in the second quarter,
they were up 70 percent, and 47 percent in the third quarter. In May, the company
opened its largest store in the world in Tokyo's Ginza. Di Marco said he was pleased
with the flagship's performance, noting the "ideal" positioning and how the 9,700-
square-foot space allows the brand to display its full product range.
Published: Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Maier Shines at St. Regis
By Alessandra Ilari
MILAN — Tomas Maier has just signed off on his second collaboration with the St.
Regis Hotel.
After a first suite in the hotel's New York unit, Bottega Veneta's creative director
furnished a sprawling space inside Rome's St. Regis Grand Hotel. The one-of-a-kind
suite, which consists of a foyer, three bedrooms and bathrooms and a living room
with a fireplace, is decorated with an airy palette, natural-hued limestone floors and
New Zealand wool carpets.
Modern Bottega Veneta furniture, intreccio or woven pieces and hand-carved

Venetian glass coexist with antique pieces and classic armchairs upholstered in linen
and Ultrasuede. "We wanted to respect the character of the hotel and acknowledge
the light of Rome, so we used very light colors like khaki, mustard and taupe," said
Maier.
The St. Regis in Rome was opened in 1894 by Cesar Ritz and has welcomed a
gaggle of crowned heads and international luminaries. Legend has it the hotel sits
above ruins of the Baths of Diocletian and that its tiny courtyard holds grapes from
the vineyards of Pope Sistus V, who once owned the land.
Published: Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Bottega Veneta Bows in New England
By Katherine Bowers
Bottega Veneta takes pride in not having a logo, but the brand flaunts its signature
woven leather as a hallmark in its first New England store.
The woven pattern is used on handbags, key fobs, bracelets and even etched into
sunglass frames scattered throughout the 2,016-square-foot store that opened Nov.
1 at the Natick Collection in Natick, Mass.
"Our customers are those who do not need a logo and, in fact, shy away from them
— really they are the sophisticated elite," said Patrizio di Marco, chief executive
officer.
Bottega Veneta would consider opening a second store in downtown Boston, should
suitable space become available, he said. The new shop is in the recently opened
luxury complex about 20 miles west of downtown, near Neiman Marcus, Louis
Vuitton and Burberry. Gucci is to open at Natick next year.
The Bottega Veneta store design adheres to the brand's 16 other U.S. units. In a
scheme prescribed by creative director Tomas Maier, the unit features low lighting, a
neutral ivory and taupe colors and a slightly masculine array of sleek, dark cabinetry
with leather pulls.
Handbags receive the most space, occupying the front half of the store. A wall grid of
handbags to the right of the entrance serves both as display and art installation. The
museum feel is heightened by a wall of locked, glass cabinets featuring an array of
small goods, such as a $5,000 crocodile clutch with a silver-knot clasp. Luggage is
stacked at the center.
Ready-to-wear and shoes, including a modernized pair of Victorian lace-up boots

with the buttons suggested by leather-covered discs, are tucked in the back half of
the store. Prices range from $140 for a leather bracelet to $15,000 for a crocodile
handbag. A laminated python handbag in a coral hue, $4,900, stands out as one of
the flashier styles in a subdued array of browns, blacks and tan leather goods.
Published: Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Soft Serve
MILAN — Bottega Veneta's Tomas Maier has a deft hand at subtlety. This season,
he worked more of that nuanced magic in his tailored silhouettes, gently softening up
those men's wear-inspired garments to a slouchy-yet-chic effect. Here, a duchesse
satin jacket and pants paired with a tulle bustier.
Easy does it. Designers took a turn away from structured volume for spring and opted,
instead, for a softer touch in languid, slouchy or deflated silhouettes.
Published: Thursday, August 23, 2007

Bottega's Rodeo Update
By Marcy Medina
BEVERLY HILLS — Bottega Veneta unveiled its renovated and expanded boutique
on North Rodeo Drive here this month, featuring a floor-to-ceiling redesign by the
house's creative director, Tomas Maier.
The 5,554-square-foot store, which has an additional 400 square feet of selling space,
includes new areas such as fine jewelry, home furnishings and an expanded luggage
collection, as well as full ready-to-wear and accessories collections for men and
women. In addition, the store boasts Bottega Veneta's first VIP shopping suite in a
U.S. store.
"With every designer imaginable available there, the Los Angeles shopper is one of
the most discerning,'' Maier said. "Thus, we have to be at the top of our game with an
upgraded, better quality store and full product range. The goal is to give an existing
client better service and attract new clients."
Maier's signature design elements include handcrafted vitrines, aerodynamically

shaped vertical window louvres made of palm wood and steel, display counters with
slide-out ultrasuede presentation pads, ultrasuede walls, mohair-upholstered furniture,
limestone floors and custom-dyed New Zealand wool carpets.
The front of the store showcases an "icon wall" with a floor-to-ceiling display of
handbags and the second room houses shoes and accessories, including a wall of
sunglasses. A transitional space houses home furnishings and the back of the store
features the fine jewelry case and the full range of women's and men's apparel.
Bottega Veneta declined to give sales projections for the Beverly Hills store.
One of Maier's mandates is to adapt each store to its surrounding city and customers.
"We love our address in Beverly Hills and have been able to establish a strong
clientele over the years,'' he said. "There has been an increased demand for custom
orders there, which makes these clients some of the most interesting worldwide.
They love the idea that they can make an item unique for themselves."
The San Francisco store was renovated earlier this year and the unit at South Coast
Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif., will get a facelift next year. The company has 18 U.S.
stores and 109 directly operated units worldwide.
Published: Thursday, May 17, 2007

Bottega Veneta Goes Eclectic in Tokyo
By Amanda Kaiser
TOKYO — Bottega Veneta kept the inaugural party for its Tokyo flagship local — but
that's not to say it was a provincial affair.
For the event last Friday night, the company invited an eclectic mix of Japanese pop
stars, conceptual artists and catwalk models to an in-store cocktail and private after
party at a small art gallery.
"I like to invite the local people, you don't want to come here and see the same
people all the time," said Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier, who has
been coming to Tokyo for about 25 years and still looks forward to exploring the city,
whether it's scouting for ceramic bowls and cutlery or just enjoying the modernist
lines of the Hotel Okura's lobby.
"On the one side there's tradition and on the other side you have this…urge for
[what's] next. That is also what makes the city so interesting to all of us to have both
of those elements in one place," he said.
Maier, dapper in a three-piece suit, and Bottega chief Patrizio Di Marco mingled with
guests like Liz Goldwyn and models Ai Tominaga, Anne Watanabe and Du Juan.
Juan, clad in a sweet pink frock, just wrapped the Pirelli calendar shoot in Shanghai.
She was next heading to New York to appear in the second anniversary issue of
Vogue China. Other notables included photographer Hiromix, who appeared in "Lost
in Translation," actress Kyoko Hasegawa and a gaggle of Japanese fashion stylists
and editors.
Actor Tsuyoshi Ihara looked the part of a leading man in his sunglasses and striking
white ensemble. Having worked beside Ken Watanabe, Anne's father, in Clint
Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima," he's now concentrating on his next acting
project, a remake of "Snatch" featuring plenty of Japanese mafia fights. It's due for
release later this year.
As the evening progressed, the pack moved from the store to the art gallery owned
by one of Maier's friends. Bottega customized the space, well hidden in a residential
neighborhood, right down to the woven leather throw pillows and intrecciato tumbler
glasses. Large prints of photographer Naoki Hatakeyama's images of exploding rock
adorned the walls of the gallery.
Maier, still beaming the next day, was enthused by the party's high concentration of
creative types.
"This morning I woke up with a really nice feeling about [the party]," he said, speaking
from a suite in the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo overlooking the bustling city and a vast
sea of skyscrapers. "I like people to meet people and I think this was a good party for
people to mingle."
Published: Wednesday, May 09, 2007

The Rush Into Ginza: Bottega Veneta Opens Biggest Flagship Yet
By Amanda Kaiser
TOKYO — Bottega Veneta has opened its largest store in the world here in a
characteristically discreet manner, opting for a quiet, chestnut tree-lined street off
Ginza's main drag.
The five-floor, 9,700-square-foot Bottega Veneta complex houses three levels of

retail space and the brand's full product range of apparel, leather goods, fine jewelry
and home furnishings. The company's Japanese offices and showroom occupy the
upper floors of the building.
Bottega Veneta will fete the store Friday. Creative director Tomas Maier will host a
cocktail party at the store, which opened last month, followed by a small dinner party
at a nearby gallery. Liz Goldwyn and models Du Juan, Ai Tominaga and Anne
Watanabe are some of the celebrities slated to attend the event. "Being in Tokyo is
always a treat," Maier told WWD ahead of the festivities.
Bottega Veneta is just the latest edition to the bustling shopping neighborhood. Last
year, Gucci unveiled its towering retail and office complex here, while Hermès
expanded its 10-story flagship to add retail space and a cafe. Construction workers
are rushing to finish new megastores for Giorgio Armani and Bulgari. Armani's
flagship will include the designer's first spa, a joint collaboration with longtime beauty
partner L'Oréal, as well as an Italian restaurant and a rooftop bar.
Despite the building blitz here, most European luxury groups are having a rough time
in Japan, a sluggish market dogged by a weak euro. Both LVMH Moët Hennessy
Louis Vuitton and PPR, owner of Gucci Group, recently admitted that their two star
brands — Louis Vuitton and Gucci — were facing tougher times in the key Japanese
market. Vuitton is expected to have flat sales there this year, while Jean-François
Palus, PPR's chief financial officer, said, "Japan is a tough environment" for Gucci at
the moment.
But Gucci Group's Bottega Veneta is a notable exception, thanks to its niche
positioning. Bottega Veneta's first-quarter sales spiked 57 percent in Japan, its
biggest single market. Worldwide, the brand's first-quarter revenue rose 45 percent to
84.8 million euros, or $115.3 million at current exchange, boosted by 18 store
openings.
Bottega Veneta chief executive Patrizio Di Marco said the brand's no-logo strategy
and emphasis on individuality has appealed to Japanese customers who are growing
tired of mass-produced goods and ubiquitous products.
"Japanese consumers have changed in their level of sophistication," Di Marco said.

"They have become more and more confident about themselves. They feel less and
less of a need to prove themselves by owning certain luxury brands. They have
become more individualistic in their purchasing behavior."
Bottega Veneta declined to release investment figures or sales projections for the
store, but the Gucci brand paid more than $80 million for just the land to build its
Ginza flagship. Di Marco said Bottega Veneta plans to make its new flagship "one of
the highest sales-grossing stores in the world."
The store is already developing a following with young men. One recent customer,
Komi Ryousuke, a 28-year-old dressed in a fitted gray sweatshirt and headphones,
purchased a set of wine glasses as a gift for his boss. Style-conscious Tetsuo Ebi
spent about 30,000 yen, or $250, on a brown leather business card holder. "It's for
me," he beamed. "I just saw it in a fashion magazine."
Maier designed a special edition pewter-hued hobo bag to commemorate the flagship,
but the store sold out of them in its first month of operation. Each Ginza Pyramid, a
triangular-shaped hand-woven bag, bore a 294,000 yen, or $2,450, price tag.
Bottega Veneta's Ginza store is a block down from the Chanel and Cartier flagships.
Other area stores include Printemps, Mikimoto and MaxMara.
The store features Bottega Veneta's signature palette of neutrals and earth tones.
Design elements include African walnut ceilings, chocolate suede walls, mohair
furniture upholstery and custom-dyed wool carpets from New Zealand, in keeping
with the brand's existing retail concept. A Bauhaus-inspired staircase anchors the
center of the store and links the three levels.
"When designing each store and adapting the Bottega Veneta concept to different-
sized spaces, I always consider the existing architecture, surrounding city and, most
importantly, the local client," Maier said.
"I am excited to finally have such a big store in Tokyo, as we have such a loyal and
enthusiastic client base in Japan," he added. "We will be able to showcase the
broadest assortment of product available for the first time, which will finally allow our
clients the ability to see and touch the product firsthand versus referring to our
catalogue and Web site."
The first floor features handbags, luggage, footwear and a corner dedicated to
eyewear. The second level houses men's wear and the brand's full range of home
furnishings. Women's wear and fine jewelry occupy the third story. The women's
ready-to-wear area features a personal-shopping salon, where a customer can work
one-on-one with a styling consultant.
Di Marco noted Bottega Veneta has come a long way in the Japanese market since
Gucci Group bought the brand in 2001. Before then, Bottega Veneta was best known
in Japan for its nylon handbags sold through a local distributor.
"If we take into account where we started, the difficulty of the market and it's high
level of competition, and the fact that the luxury market hasn't grown that much in the
meantime, we can better understand how Bottega's success in Japan has become
truly extraordinary," he said.
Today, Bottega Veneta has a network of more than 40 stores in Japan. In late March,
the brand opened a smaller boutique in the trendy shopping center Tokyo Midtown, a
new complex designed by Japanese architects Tadao Ando and Kengo Kuma.
Fellow tenants include Harry Winston, Cruciani, Puma Black Store, multibrand store
Restir, Marni and Chloé. Di Marco said the brand also is mulling flagships for other
Japanese cities such as Osaka and Nagoya.
Meanwhile, Bottega Veneta is charting its growth elsewhere. Di Marco said the brand
is preparing a watch collection. It's also branching out into new markets. This year
the firm opened its first stores in China, in Shanghai and Beijing. Bottega Veneta will
open another 23 stores around the world this year in cities such as Boston; Kyoto,
Japan; Florence; Houston and Singapore.
Published: Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Bottega Opens its Doors in Ginza, Tokyo
By Amanda Kaiser
TOKYO — Bottega Veneta has opened its largest store in the world here in its
characteristically discreet manner, opting for a quiet, chestnut-tree-lined street off
Ginza’s main drag.
The five-floor, 9,700-square-foot Bottega Veneta complex houses three levels of

retail space and the brand’s full product range of apparel, leather goods, fine jewelry
and home furnishings. The company’s Japanese offices and showroom occupy the
upper floors of the building.
Bottega Veneta will fete the store Friday. Creative director Tomas Maier will host a
cocktail at the store, which opened last month, followed by a small dinner party at a
nearby gallery. Liz Goldwyn and models Du Juan, Ai Tominaga and Anne Watanabe
are some of the celebrities slated to attend the event. “Being in Tokyo is always a
treat,” Maier told WWD ahead of the festivities.
Bottega Veneta is just the latest edition to the bustling shopping neighborhood. Last
year, Gucci unveiled its towering retail and office complex here, while Hermès
expanded its 10-story flagship to add retail space and a cafe. Construction workers
are rushing to finish new megastores for Giorgio Armani and Bulgari. Armani’s
flagship will include the designer’s first spa, a joint collaboration with longtime beauty
partner L’Oréal, as well as an Italian restaurant and a rooftop bar.
Despite the building blitz here, most European luxury groups are having a rough time
in Japan, a sluggish market dogged by a weak euro. Both LVMH Moët Hennessy
Louis Vuitton and PPR, owner of Gucci Group, recently admitted that their two star
brands — Louis Vuitton and Gucci — were facing tougher times in the key Japanese
market. Vuitton is expected to have flat sales there this year, while Jean-François
Palus, PPR’s chief financial officer, said, “Japan is a tough environment” for Gucci at
the moment.
But Gucci Group’s Bottega Veneta is a notable exception, thanks to its niche
positioning. Bottega Veneta’s first-quarter sales spiked 57 percent in Japan, its
biggest single market. Worldwide, the brand’s first-quarter revenue rose 45 percent to
84.8 million euros, or $115.3 million at current exchange, boosted by 18 store
openings.
Bottega Veneta chief executive Patrizio Di Marco said the brand’s no-logo strategy
and emphasis on individuality has appealed to Japanese customers who are growing
tired of mass-produced goods and ubiquitous products.
“Japanese consumers have changed in their level of sophistication,” Di Marco said.

“They have become more and more confident about themselves. They feel less and
less of a need to prove themselves by owning certain luxury brands. They have
become more individualistic in their purchasing behavior.”
Bottega Veneta declined to release investment figures or sales projections for the
store, but the Gucci brand paid more than $80 million for just the land to build its
Ginza flagship. Di Marco said Bottega Veneta plans to make its new flagship “one of
the highest sales-grossing stores in the world.”
The store is already developing a following with young men. One recent customer,
Komi Ryousuke, a 28-year-old dressed in a fitted gray sweatshirt and headphones,
purchased a set of wine glasses as a gift for his boss. Style-conscious Tetsuo Ebi
spent about 30,000 yen, or $250, on a brown leather business card holder. “It’s for
me,” he beamed. “I just saw it in a fashion magazine.”
Maier designed a special edition pewter-hued hobo bag to commemorate the flagship,
but the store sold out of them in its first month of operation. Each Ginza Pyramid, a
triangular-shaped hand-woven bag, bore a 294,000 yen, or $2,450, price tag.
Bottega Veneta’s Ginza store is a block down from the Chanel and Cartier flagships.
Other area stores include Printemps, Mikimoto and MaxMara.
The store features Bottega Veneta’s signature palette of neutrals and earth tones.
Design elements include African walnut ceilings, chocolate suede walls, mohair
furniture upholstery and custom-dyed wool carpets from New Zealand, in keeping
with the brand’s existing retail concept. A Bauhaus-inspired staircase anchors the
center of the store and links the three levels.
“When designing each store and adapting the Bottega Veneta concept to different-
sized spaces, I always consider the existing architecture, surrounding city and, most
importantly, the local client,” Maier said.
“I am excited to finally have such a big store in Tokyo, as we have such a loyal and
enthusiastic client base in Japan,” he added. “We will be able to showcase the
broadest assortment of product available for the first time, which will finally allow our
clients the ability to see and touch the product firsthand versus referring to our
catalogue and Web site.”
The first floor features handbags, luggage, footwear and a corner dedicated to
eyewear. The second level houses men’s wear and the brand’s full range of home
furnishings. Women’s wear and fine jewelry occupy the third story. The women’s
ready-to-wear area features a personal-shopping salon, where a customer can work
one-on-one with a styling consultant.
Di Marco noted Bottega Veneta has come a long way in the Japanese market since
Gucci Group bought the brand in 2001. Before then, Bottega Veneta was best known
in Japan for its nylon handbags sold through a local distributor.
“If we take into account where we started, the difficulty of the market and it’s high
level of competition, and the fact that the luxury market hasn’t grown that much in the
meantime, we can better understand how Bottega’s success in Japan has become
truly extraordinary,” he said.
Today, Bottega Veneta has a network of more than 40 stores in Japan. In late March,
the brand opened a smaller boutique in the trendy shopping center Tokyo Midtown, a
new complex designed by Japanese architects Tadao Ando and Kengo Kuma.
Fellow tenants include Harry Winston, Cruciani, Puma Black Store, multibrand store
Restir, Marni and Chloé. Di Marco said the brand also is mulling flagships for other
Japanese cities such as Osaka and Nagoya.
Meanwhile, Bottega Veneta is charting its growth elsewhere. Di Marco said the brand
is preparing a watch collection. It’s also branching out into new markets. This year
the firm opened its first stores in China, in Shanghai and Beijing. Bottega Veneta will
open another 23 stores around the world this year in cities such as Boston; Kyoto,
Japan; Florence; Houston and Singapore.
Published: Thursday, April 19, 2007

Bottega Veneta to Outfit Suite at St. Regis Hotel
By Luisa Zargani
MILAN — Bottega Veneta said Wednesday it will decorate a suite at the St. Regis
Hotel in Rome, which will be completed in the fall.
The project was unveiled at the Salone del Mobile fair here a year after the launch of
the brand's first furniture collection and the subsequent design of a suite at the St.
Regis Hotel in New York.
"It's an interesting project because it's in Italy and we are an Italian company and this
is an even bigger suite, so I'm more at liberty and there are less restrictions," said
Bottega Veneta's creative director, Tomas Maier, at the company's showroom here.
The St. Regis suite comprises a foyer, three bedrooms, three baths and a living room
with a fireplace, as well as three large windows overlooking the city.
The St. Regis Grand Hotel Rome opened in 1894 and was recently restored. "I took
into consideration the fact that it is in Rome, a more southern city compared to New
York," said Maier.
Accordingly, the suite is in a lighter color palette that includes khaki, palladium, linen,
parchment, taupe and mustard. Floors will be either covered with New Zealand wool
carpets, or in smooth, natural-hued limestone. The rooms will be furnished with
pieces presented in Milan, such as the new folding camp bed in woven leather and
backed in linen. Other styles unveiled Wednesday included foldable gunmetal trays
with mirrored surfaces, a bed with a woven leather headrest, library tables and
pillows with faded animal prints.
Once again, for the presentation of the new home line, Maier re-created a series of
rooms juxtaposing Bottega Veneta items with vintage pieces. While last year the
designer showed Scandinavian, Thonet and Venini classics, this year he put together
18th-century Venetian and Neapolitan antiques, with Moroccan Berber rugs, Forties
leather sofas and Asian screens. "This is just an additional proposal. Bottega Veneta
is about individual style and personal choices," said Maier. "These pieces can be
interpreted in many different ways."
Published: Thursday, February 08, 2007

Bottega Veneta's New Rome Home
By Luisa Zargani
ROME — Bottega Veneta's biggest store in Europe has officially reopened here, the
first of 10 store openings scheduled for this year.
The luxury goods company will relocate the Florence store by April; open boutiques
in Munich and Puerto Vanuz, Spain, in the first half, and renovate the Rodeo Drive
store in Los Angeles in the fall.
In addition, Bottega this spring will open a second flagship in Tokyo's Ginza district,
which will become its biggest store in the world, covering almost 10,000 square feet
over three floors. The company already counts 42 boutiques in Japan.
Other projects in Asia include a new boutique in Singapore, one in Beijing and the
relocation of two stores in Hong Kong to bigger spaces.
"We are tripling the space of those stores to accommodate the expansion of our
product categories," said Patrizio Di Marco, Bottega's chief executive officer. "We are
aiming at larger stores wherever it is possible — a logical and commercial strategy
for us."
The Rome boutique, which covers 4,320 square feet on two levels, is the first to have
an area exclusively dedicated to the new furniture division, launched in Milan last
spring, and a VIP room. "We have other flagship stores with small furniture-
designated areas, but this particular location has an entire room for this new product
category," said Bottega's creative director, Tomas Maier.
The Rome store is located in the pedestrians-only, triangular piazza San Lorenzo in
Lucina.
"This is the ideal location as the square mirrors the spirit of the boutique: Both the
piazza and the store feel like a cozy and refined living room within the city," said Di
Marco. "This boutique is almost like an apartment, a walk-in closet, with individual
and differentiated rooms. It offers a personalized approach in line with the Bottega
Veneta philosophy."
Maier described the square as "discreet and elegant" and "an address that all
Romans know," versus "being an obvious tourist" spot. Di Marco said that, in the
Rome store, customers are split evenly between tourists and locals.
While he did not rule out a future retail presence also in the main shopping
thoroughfare of Via Condotti, Di Marco said he has always been partial toward the
existing location. "The Rome boutique was one of the original 21 stores under the
previous ownership," said the executive. Gucci Group took control of the Vicenza-
based leather goods company in 2001.
The store carries both the women's and men's ready-to-wear collections and a
complete range of accessories, with a new eyewear display; an "icon wall" with
precious bags in crocodile and other exotic skins that retail for up to 35,000 euros, or
$45,500 at current exchange, and new window displays to feature the recently
launched jewelry category.
Maier said Bottega Veneta's store concept is "always about respecting the existing
architecture and then adapting our concept to work with the architectural style of the
city. This has been our plan globally as we believe that each store should have an
individual atmosphere that reflects the city it is in."
The designer took into account the store's 17th-century columns and stone arches,
fitting the brand's store elements — walnut tables with handles sheathed in leather,
suede-covered walls, settees upholstered in mohair and custom-dyed New Zealand
wool carpets in matte neutrals and earth tones — to the original structure of the
building.
Di Marco said that, prior to the acquisition by Gucci Group, Bottega Veneta was
mostly a wholesale business, but that its parent company turned things around,
focusing on directly owned stores, which he deems a more suitable strategy for the
brand. "Bottega Veneta must be sold in a specific, dedicated atmosphere, with a one-
to-one approach to the customer," said Di Marco. "Our stores are our way to
communicate and our sales staff must know our history, our techniques and
workmanship, the materials and crafts and transmit them to our customers. The staff
represents the label and is the customer's first contact with the brand."
Although Di Marco declined to provide sales projections, he said the company was
pleased with the profitability of all its stores over the past few years. Bottega Veneta
now counts a total of 97 stores.
Compared with sales of 35 million euros, or $45.5 million, in 2001, said Di Marco,
Bottega Veneta in 2005 reported sales of 267 million euros, or $347 million at current
exchange rates, up 69 percent on the previous year.
To mark the opening of the boutique, Maier designed a 200-piece limited edition
Roma bag. The seamless bag, made with soft goatskin in the signature Intrecciato
style, is available in a delicate brass hue. Each Roma bag features an inscribed,
numbered plate to commemorate the reopening.
Published: Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Bottega Veneta Wins Walpole Award
By Samantha Conti
LONDON — Bottega Veneta scooped the new award for international luxury brand at
the annual Walpole Awards Night on Monday.
Walpole is Britain's answer to France's Comité Colbert and Italy's Altagamma. It's a
not-for-profit organization that aims to protect and promote British luxury brands at
home and abroad.
Bottega Veneta was competing against Christian Dior, Ralph Lauren and Harry
Winston, and each was judged on the international impact of its service, sales and
brand exposure in 2006.
"It was a compliment to be in a category with all of them, and I'm surprised we won,"
said Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier in a telephone interview from
Miami. "England is a very important market for Bottega Veneta, we have a real
following there, and all the product categories do very well. I can't wait to get back
there."
Patrizio Di Marco, Bottega Veneta's chief executive officer, was in London to accept
the award.
Other winners during the ceremony held at Banqueting House, Whitehall, near the
Houses of Parliament, were Christopher Bailey for British creative talent, Bamford &
Sons for best emerging British brand and Dyson, the vacuum-cleaner brand, for
British excellence overseas. Dyson topped Graff, Harvey Nichols, Alfred Dunhill and
The Economist in that category.
Cole & Son, a maker of woodcut-based wallpaper and fabrics, won for best British
luxury brand — beating Kate Moss, Stella McCartney and Mulberry. Walpole also
looks outside the fashion and luxury goods industries for its candidates. The Royal
Shakespeare Company won the award for British cultural excellence, while Jane
Tomlinson, a terminally ill marathon runner, won for British sporting excellence.
Judges included Theo Fennell, Nick Foulkes, Charles March, Stephen Fry, and
Annoushka Ducas and John Ayton.
Published: Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Bottega Veneta
Plenty of designers pay lip service to breezy dressing, but this season Tomas Maier
got down to the serious business of beating the heat.
Back when he designed spring, temperatures outside were peaking, "and my

girlfriends were all complaining," he said before the show.
The resulting collection oozed ease. Maier's airy dresses in linen and silk played with
the season's loosened-up shapes — a major Milan trend — without ever looking
sloppy.
Meanwhile, fluid jersey dresses, which he smocked and pleated and crisscrossed
with elasticized embroidery, took on comfort dressing in a different angle.
While Maier's look was clean and quiet — and almost too tame for the runway — that
apparent simplicity was deceptive. Take Maier's meticulous smocking, for example, a
precision maneuver calculated to the millimeter so that his dresses could be pulled
on and off without closures.
Naturally, in keeping with his chill theme, Maier made it all look a breeze.
Published: Monday, August 07, 2006

Bottega Veneta Opens School for Future Artisans
By Amanda Kaiser
VICENZA, Italy — Bottega Veneta is out to disprove all those cynics who claim
designers and companies aren't doing enough to train the next generation of
craftspeople.
The Gucci Group-owned accessories and fashion house is joining local trade school
Scuola d'Arte e Mestieri di Vicenza to set up a three-year educational program for
aspiring luxury handbag makers. The first session will start in October.
Bottega chief executive officer Patrizio Di Marco said it is increasingly difficult to find
skilled workers, especially pattern makers. Bottega is founding the program to
remedy that problem and give back to its home region of Veneto near Venice.
Bottega requires an exceptionally high level of competence, as well as nimble fingers,
to craft its bags, which take hours, if not days, to make.
"There are things that you do with your hands that no book can teach you," Di Marco
told WWD following a press conference earlier last month outlining the initiative. He
declined to give an investment figure for the project.
"I don't think the validity of an initiative — of any initiative — is based on how much
you are spending," he said, stressing the importance of cultivating the next
generation of artisans, whom he considers "the beating heart" of the company.
The Scuola d'Arte e Mestieri di Vicenza, an institute with roots dating as far back as
the 16th century, offers a variety of courses in jewelry making and creative product
development. The school is providing classroom space and lending some of its
teachers to the Bottega program.
Augusto Peruz, the school's president, said at the press conference: "This [initiative]
is not just the result of a lot of collaborative work, but also the development of a
partnership between the world of education and the world of companies."
In the first two years of the course, Bottega's artisans teach students how to cut and
hand-stitch leather and other skins. The third year focuses on pattern making. After
completing each year of study, students can opt to stay at the school and work
toward becoming a pattern maker or start working at Bottega's factory at a lower-
level position. Tuition is free.
The school is also stressing the importance of theory, by teaching students the
history of fashion and the use of animal hides. English and computer technology
lessons, as well as an internship at the Bottega factory, round out the curriculum.
Bottega is limiting the size of its first class to 15 students, a number that could grow
as the school evolves. Pupils can be either Italian or foreign-born, but the company
will give preference to local students in hopes of cementing its links with the region.
Bottega, a profitable star brand in Gucci's portfolio, posted 2005 sales of 160 million
euros, about $202 million at current exchange, and is on track to reach 200 million
euros, or $253 million, this year.
Bottega's creative director, Tomas Maier, said in a statement that the artisans have
inspired him from the first day he set foot in the company's factory.
"We, as designers, have never imagined something that these crafts-people couldn't
produce," he said. "Bottega Veneta's commitment to this school is an investment in
the company's future. And I hope it helps to restore the respect and allure of an
[artisan] tradition that is increasingly rare and precious."
Published: Friday, June 23, 2006

Bottega Veneta's Snowdon Ads to Bow
By Alessandra Ilari and Luisa Zargani
MILAN — Bottega Veneta's fall ad campaign breaks ground for the brand on multiple
fronts.
In the first place, legendary British photographer Tony Armstrong-Jones, better

known as Lord Snowdon, who wed Princess Margaret in 1960, shot it. Famous for his
portraits of artists, celebrities, politicians and, above all, the British royal family, the
76-year-old photographer zoomed in on model Inguna in a portrait style, a new
approach for Bottega Veneta.
To enhance the luxury collection's shades of gray, black and brown, the images were
shot in black and white in a Milan studio. The campaign also includes Bottega
Veneta's new fine jewelry and furniture lines.
"Lord Snowdon is someone whose work I've long admired," said Tomas Maier,
Bottega Veneta's creative director. "His sense of composition is remarkable, yet the
emotional focus of the photograph is always on the individual. This is the same
philosophy that Bottega Veneta brings to everything we design."
The campaign breaks in the August issues of select magazines globally. The
company declined to disclose its ad budget for the season.
Meanwhile, Prada has tapped three Asian celebrities for the Miu Miu fall ad campaign
—women the company describes as "strong" and "warrior dolls, who simultaneously
represent a futuristic vision mixed with the depth and wisdom of ancient custom and
culture." Chinese actress and singer Zhou Xun, Chinese actress Dong Jie and
Japanese model Lina Ohta were photographed by Inez Van Lamsweerde and
Vinoodh Matadin at the Lapérouse restaurant in Paris, where Miuccia Prada staged
her fall show.
Zhou Xun will be in movie theaters opposite Ziyi Zhang in "The Banquet," an
adaptation of "Hamlet," later this year. Dong Jie starred in Zhang Yimou's "Happy
Times," "Sound of Colors" with Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi, among others, and "Dragon
Tiger Gate."
Published: Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Bottega Veneta Unveils Flagship in Omotesando
By Koji Hirano
TOKYO — Tomas Maier is the latest designer to take a Tokyo tour.
The creative director of Bottega Veneta was here last week to celebrate the opening
of the brand's flagship in the newly built Omotesando Hills mall. The events included
a personal appearance by Maier at the store, where he launched a line of limited-
edition handbags, and a fashion show of Bottega's full ready-to-wear collection at the
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. It was the luxury leathergoods and fashion
house's first runway show outside of Milan.
The Omotesando Hills mall, a modernist glass building with smooth concrete walls,
was designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando and houses about 100 restaurants
and fashion brands, such as Yves Saint Laurent and Dolce & Gabbana.
The 3,230-square-foot Bottega Veneta store, which has an entrance on the street,
consists of two floors with different ceiling heights to give the feeling of multiple
showcases. Inside, there is an S-shaped staircase connecting the high-ceilinged
entrance hall to the upper level's small, more intimate space.
The store sells merchandise such as exotic leather accessories, fine and costume
jewelry and the home collection, as well as pieces from Bottega Veneta's burgeoning
ready-to-wear business.
Maier said he has been dreaming of opening a large-scale flagship in Tokyo for a
long time. "We have been thinking of creating an atmosphere for the Japanese
customers to experience the whole world of Bottega Veneta," he said. "It is a
pleasure to open the shop within this building designed by Tadao Ando. His way of
treating materials in clear and functional design is something Bottega Veneta
shares."
While the company declined to reveal sales projections, WWD Japan studies show
that sales in Bottega Veneta's shop-in-shops in department stores have seen a
double-digit increase over the past year.
To celebrate the opening of the Omotesando flagship, Bottega Veneta created five
limited-edition handbags. Inspired by Tokyo, they include a $4,600 embroidered
karung Veneta handbag, a $3,800 karung, python and snakeskin Bambina bag and a
$1,100 lizard, karung and snakeskin Palermo bag.
To drive home the importance of the Japanese market, the Gucci Group brand held
its first fashion show in Japan. The show included some 60 styles of the fall collection,
and the brand's message — "When your own initials are enough" — was projected
against the walls. It opened with fashion model Ai Tominaga and closed with Anne
Watanabe, daughter of actor Ken Watanabe of "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "The Last
Samurai."
Published: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Gucci Group Growth: Bottega Veneta Leaps Into a Starring Role
By Amanda Kaiser with contributions by Miles Socha
MILAN — Bottega Veneta, once a second-tier brand at Gucci Group that lived in the
shadows of Tom Ford's Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, has emerged as a point of
strategic focus for its parent company. And forays into fine jewelry and home
furnishings indicate even more future momentum for the label, which shows its fall-
winter collection here today.
The company is on its way to hitting 200 million euros, or $238.7 million, in sales this
year and officially broke away from the crop of emerging labels owned by Gucci
Group by breaking into the black in 2005.
To the surprise of many, Bottega Veneta was touted early for growth potential by
Franç ois-Henri Pinault shortly after he took over the reins of PPR and Gucci Group
owner Artemis in 2004.
The Gucci label, at that time, was by far the group's cash engine, supporting smaller,
developmental ventures such as Stella McCartney, Balenciaga and Alexander
McQueen, in addition to Yves Saint Laurent, which has failed to break even after
years of anticipation. Bottega Veneta fit into that mix as a small, niche leather goods
player, albeit one with hefty price tags and intricate craftsmanship. It seemed to be
the least likely candidate to break out as a strategic component for the Gucci Group.
Now, company executives exude bullish forecasts for the brand despite its elitist and
ultra-selective customer appeal, with handbags starting at $1,500 and running as
high as $75,000. Although Bottega Veneta is definitely a niche brand, there is plenty
of room for it to grow, they said. A fine jewelry collection of hand-woven gold and
diamond pavé designs, which bows on the runway today, is one potential driver for
the future.
"It could be 500 million euros [or $597 million at current exchange], it could grow to
be bigger than that," Bottega Veneta chief executive officer Patrizio Di Marco told
WWD in an exclusive interview, alluding to Hermès' 1.43 billion euros, or $1.71 billion,
in turnover as yardstick. "Looking at Hermès' positioning in the mind of the customer,
you can't say that it's not exclusive."
Pinault, chairman and ceo of PPR, similarly lauded the brand's financial performance.
At the end of 2004, PPR forecast that Bottega Veneta would reach sales of 200
million euros, or $238.7 million, by 2007, a target Pinault now believes the brand will
reach by the middle of this year — six months ahead of schedule.
"Bottega Veneta has an extraordinary development potential," he said. "Ahead of

schedule, Bottega Veneta was profitable in 2005.
"Profitability will improve throughout the coming years, thanks to newly opened stores
breaking even and sales growth, the latter partially fueled by the expansion of new
product categories such as ready-to-wear, accessories and jewelry," Pinault
continued.
To wit, Bottega Veneta appears to be the second-most successful label for the Gucci
Group after its namesake Gucci brand. Since Gucci Group purchased Bottega
Veneta for $156.8 million, the leather goods brand's sales have grown from 35 million
euros that year, or $41.8 million at current exchange rates, to 159.7 million euros, or
$190.6 million, in 2005, which represented a 60.2 percent increase on 2004 revenues.
It is now nearly the same size as YSL, a fashion house that posted 2005 revenues of
162 million euros, or $193.3 million. It's a rare exception to find an acquisition that
has worked so well, not just for Gucci but also for a host of other firms like LVMH
Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Prada that also are striving to turn around
unprofitable businesses.
"We arrived at [nearly] 160 million euros without making any compromises," Di Marco
said. "We were very fast, but we didn't stress ourselves out about having to reach a
certain target."
Along the way, Bottega Veneta resisted the temptation to lower its prices to reach a
broader audience or try to create an "It" bag, choices that defied some industry
conventions but ultimately paid off, Di Marco said. Rather, the company worked to roll
out focused collections, boost its exclusive cachet by shunning discounts and
freebies and stress the importance of customer service and craftsmanship.
Creative director Tomas Maier who, like Di Marco, has been with Bottega Veneta
since 2001, said it hasn't been easy. "[We've] been swimming against the stream
since day one," he said Monday in an interview. "From starting to work here on the
12th of June and living through 9/11 and SARS after that, and doing a product that
has no logo on it. You know I'm coming with a philosophy that is totally different from
the one that was in the luxury market at that time," he said.
Clearly, new stores have helped drive sales growth. When Gucci bought Bottega
Veneta in February 2001, the brand owned 17 stores. Today, it counts 84 units after
the recent openings of flagships on Fifth Avenue and in the Omotesando district of
Tokyo. "We haven't been sleeping," quipped Di Marco.
Pinault said PPR will dedicate the resources needed to open more than 10 Bottega
Veneta stores this year after the 18 opened in 2005.
Maier will travel to Tokyo in April to stage a fashion show there to inaugurate the
store and he's designed a limited-edition run of reptile skin bags to commemorate the
occasion.
"People think the Japanese just want logos. That's not true," he said.
Sales figures back up that claim. In fact, Japan accounted for 33.9 percent of Bottega
Veneta's 2004 turnover of 99.6 million euros, or $118.9 million, making it the brand's
single-biggest geographic market. The U.S. accounted for 28.1 percent of the
business, while Europe generated 23.4 percent. Other Asian countries excluding
Japan comprised 14.2 percent.
"Our intention is to develop our presence in the world, maintaining our geographic
balance," Di Marco said. "Specifically, that means developing more in Asia,
consolidating our presence in Japan, the U.S. and Europe and developing with the
best local franchise partners stores in Russia and the Middle East."
Leather goods generated 83.4 percent of Bottega Veneta's turnover in 2004. Shoes
made up 8 percent, ready-to-wear comprised 6 percent and other products generated
2.6 percent.
And even though some accessories houses have mixed track records on apparel
collections, such as Salvatore Ferragamo and Bally, Di Marco maintains that it's an
important product line to develop. Clearly Maier wants to make his mark as a
designer of a broader-based collection, an ambition many say only a runway show
can make happen.
But even Gucci's ready-to-wear, despite Ford's runway buzz, remained a

proportionally small portion of the business, with accessories still comprising about
67 percent of that brand's sales.
Maier, discussing today's Bottega Veneta show, unveiled a simple unlined pantsuit in
chocolate and a pleated plum coat, both in wool. Accessories are more lively fare,
like a snakeskin floral bag with an antique metal closure or a pair of purple heels
trimmed with copper chain swirls and bows.
"The only things that are added on are the accessories, they are like pieces of
jewelry," the designer said.
Beyond the runway, Bottega Veneta has expanded over the past few years into
tableware, such as Murano drinking glasses and woven placemats and throw pillows.
Maier has also rolled out costume jewelry featuring sterling silver settings, and
semiprecious stones and leather since 2002.
"We evolved the brand from its origins as a leather goods house into a lifestyle
brand," Di Marco said.
Still, Simon Raggett, an analyst with Williams de Broe in London who recognizes
untapped potential at Bottega Veneta, warns that the company shouldn't channel too
many resources away from accessories, a key moneymaker in the luxury goods
industry.
"The main growth is likely to come from the established leather area," Raggett said.
Given that a company can only churn out so many handwoven bags, diversification
into areas like jewelry and home furnishings only makes sense. Maier, who has
custom-made some benches for select clients, isn't designing couches, beds and
armchairs, but rather smaller accent pieces that can be lifted by a single person.
Bottega Veneta's hard-cased luggage and trunks served as aesthetic inspiration for
the collection, which will make its debut at Milan's Salone del Mobile in April.
"Everything is thought of in a way that you can pick it up and move it because I like
the idea that I can wake up on a Sunday morning and say, ‘Hey, what about putting
that little table over there. Wouldn't that change the whole room around?'" Maier said,
clad in a beige corduroy jacket over a blue and white striped shirt and jeans.
While Bottega Veneta is crafting the home items in-house, the company turned to an
artisan in Maier's hometown, Pforzheim, for the fine jewelry — his identity is being
kept hush-hush.
The jewelry pieces range in price from about $10,000 for a yellow gold bracelet to
about $108,000 for a white and yellow gold necklace with some diamond pavé
detailing. Wisps of gold fiber are handwoven around a small wooden rod and these
braided components make up the links of the chain. The pieces are tumbled for 48
hours to reduce their shine and give them an antiqued finish.
Maier said other precious stones, such as rubies, could be incorporated in the jewelry
for future seasons but he wanted a focused approach for the debut collection.
"It's a very defined statement. It doesn't look like anything else — like everything we
do," he said.
Published: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Bottega Veneta Bows in Time for Couture
By Robert Murphy
PARIS — Bottega Veneta is the latest luxury powerhouse to pitch its tent on Avenue
Montaigne here. Just in time for couture week, the Gucci Group-owned fashion and
accessories firm opened its second store in the City of Light, after the Faubourg
Saint-Honoré unit, in a space formerly occupied by Ines de la Fressange. Spread
over 3,000-square-feet, the new store showcases all the house's products, from its
signature bags to shoes, women's and men's fashions and home accessories.
"Avenue Montaigne is one of the most important and beautiful shopping destinations
in the world," says Bottega Veneta's creative director Tomas Maier. "The store is
unusual and has an interesting layout [that makes it] very intimate and private."
Indeed, shoppers enter via a small space and hallway that leads to the main L-
shaped shopping area. Skylights allow light to stream in, while each category is
displayed in niche-like spaces. Other recent additions to the luxury strip include
Chloé, Jimmy Choo and Montaigne Market, an upscale multibrand fashion emporium.
Chrome Hearts later this spring will open its first Paris shop on the street, too.
Published: Thursday, December 08, 2005

Tomas Maier Brings Vision to Bottega Veneta Site
By Sharon Edelson
NEW YORK — A feature on Bottega Veneta's new Web site called Tomas' Picks has
the favorite products of creative director Tomas Maier: woven leather handbags, a
duffel bag and a dog bed and dog bowl because he loves dogs.
It is a measure of Maier's involvement in the project.
"This is very important," he said in an interview. "I pushed very hard to have a Web
site. For me, it's like another store. I wanted it to reflect the sensibility of the brand. I
wanted the Web site to be like the experience of shopping in a Bottega store. I
wanted it to have the same aesthetic."
Since joining Bottega Veneta four years ago, Maier has brought attention to the
company's burgeoning ready-to-wear with polished, luxurious looks whose simplicity
belies sophisticated tailoring. During a third-quarter conference call, the brand in
September was referred to as "a true luxury goods powerhouse" by François-Henri
Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of PPR, which owns Bottega Veneta's
parent Gucci Group.
Bottega Veneta's sales in the third quarter were up 65.5 percent to 45.3 million euros,
or $55.3 million, reflecting strong demand for upscale products, the company said.
The average projected Web sale is $2,000.
"It's a very big business opportunity for us and we expect it to be a significant

business," Maier said, referring to the Internet site, which launched on Monday. "We
have lots of clients in places that everyone forgets about — in Wyoming and
Arkansas, and there are no stores there."
Maier worked with Laird + Partners to make the Web site simple but with a
sophisticated look, much like his designs. "I'm not so savvy myself on the computer,"
he said. "I need something that's idiot-proof. This project took a long time to come
together. It's something I've been talking about for a year and a half."
The Web site contains a small selection of handbags, accessories for men and
women, travel items, gifts and home products, but Maier said the mix will be updated
six times a year coinciding with the rtw collections: early spring, spring-summer, early
fall, fall, cruise and holiday.
"We have almost 540 styles," Maier said, referring to the brand's range. "The quantity
of styles is going to go up online, but I kind of like keeping it a little narrow and quite
exclusive. That's what Bottega Veneta is about. The idea is not to put hundreds of
products online, like all the different wallets and belts. I want to offer the customer
exclusivity."
And exclusivity will be available in more ways than one. Certain products will be
developed only for the Web site. Maier said these could be handbags in existing
styles rendered in materials or colors not found in stores. Other products will be
available in limited editions. "Limited editions work for us," he said, noting that
scarcity breeds demand.
Customization is not planned for the moment because it's very time- and labor-
intensive. "Savvy personal-order shoppers are at the level where they bring in a
piece of fabric or lipstick and the material is custom-dyed for them," he said. "The
finished bag will have a Limited Edition plaque with the name of the client and [the
designation] '1 of 1' inside."
A key feature of the Web site is its personal shopper, a live saleswoman dedicated to
the online shopping component. "Bottega Veneta is very service-oriented," Maier said,
explaining that the personal shopper can help customers sift through the company's
catalogue and runway shows, which are online. "The personal shopper is part of the
virtual store. She's trained about the products and knows how to answer questions."
Maier expects no price resistance online. The most expensive products are the
Bambina and Venezia handbags, each $2,690, Calais limited-edition handbag,
$3,480, and duffel bag, $2,960.
Nor will consumers shy away from buying certain products over the Internet, he said.
"We will introduce all categories over time. I think you can sell everything online,
including rtw, eyewear, shoes and even fine jewelry. If the client is a customer of
yours and knows exactly how you size, there's no problem."
Bottega Veneta plans to take its e-commerce store, now restricted to the U.S., on the
road to Europe and Asia. "The Internet is already part of our life in America," Maier
said. "It's happening more in Europe. I can't give a precise launch date, but it's
something we want to do in the near future."
Published: Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Bottega Veneta Opens 2nd London Unit
By Samantha Conti
LONDON — Bottega Veneta knows that, more often than not, good things come in
small packages.
The Italian luxury brand has opened its second London unit, on Old Bond Street, and
filled it with accessories, homeware and gift items. The brand also has a store on
Sloane Street, which carries ready-to-wear and accessories.
“Londoners go to Bond Street to buy gifts. It’s a real destination,” said Thomas Maier,
Bottega’s creative director, in a telephone interview. “Our Sloane Street store is more
rtw- and runway-focused, and this store will be more about men’s accessories, home
and gift items.”
The new store, at 15 Old Bond Street, formerly housed Sergio Rossi, which also is
part of Gucci Group. It spans 2,376 square feet over two levels. The interiors are
similar to the Sloane Street store with a soft, neutral color palette, velvet shelving and
dark wood and leather display cases.
The store sells men’s and women’s accessories, luggage and homeware. Maier said
the store will also respond to the particular demand here for exotic skins. “We get a
lot of requests for custom-made accessories in exotic skins — crocodile luggage and
beauty cases, for example,” he said.
To mark the opening, the company plans to launch a limited-edition Bond Bag over
the next few months. The bag is black leather with a chain handle made from hand-
braided snakeskin.
Bond Street isn’t Bottega’s only stop over the next few weeks. Later this month, the
company will open its first Spanish store, a 2,948-square-foot unit on Madrid’s Calle
Ortega y Gasset that will sell the full collection. The company will also open its third
Swiss store. That store, which will sell accessories, will be located on Rue du Rhone
in Geneva.
Published: Friday, July 09, 2004

Bottega Veneta Goes Big On Fifth
By Anamaria Wilson
NEW YORK — Bottega Veneta prides itself on luxury craftsmanship and discretion,
but it’s dropped the latter when it comes to the size of its new Fifth Avenue flagship.
The company opens its largest store in the world today at 699 Fifth Avenue in a
Twenties town house that boasts 9,000 square feet, 5,500 of which is selling space.
Located in a former Club Monaco store, the new shop is a reflection of Bottega
Veneta creative director Tomas Maier’s refined aesthetic and his penchant for playing
on industrial versus natural elements.
Designed by Maier in collaboration with architect Bill Sofield, the two-story space is a
study in muted tones with variations on taupe, which pervades the entire store from
its Wisconsin limestone floors to its suede covered walls.
Maier carefully chose luxe materials with which to adorn the store. To that end, 18-
foot louvres made of palm wood sit in the windows (and are movable to calibrate the
amount of light that enters the store), walnut tables house the brand’s extensive small
leather goods collection, benches covered in shorn mohair dot the space and a
collection of its signature handbags lines an entire icon wall near the entrance.
The pièce de résistance is a massive freestanding staircase, which Maier refers to as

“an architectural masterpiece.” It spans two floors and is constructed out of steel and
glass with a handrail made of strips of walnut wood.
But the real appeal of the space for Maier was its unconventional shape. “I don’t
particularly like working with characteristic spaces, like a mall space, which is a deep
cube,” he explained. “I love spaces with an odd [layout] because you have to start to
rack your brain and find a solution. In the end it makes a store that has personality.”
The store provided him with that challenge in spades since, not only is it an old town
house, part of its space is carved out of the St. Regis Hotel building.
Its many niches serve to create intimate salons for the entire breadth of Bottega’s
product categories — handbags, accessories in exotic skins, eyewear, jewelry, shoes,
luggage, ready-to-wear, custom and home. “I hate it when you have a dead end,”
continued Maier. “You walk to the back and then you walk back out the same way. I
think it’s very unpleasant for a shopper. I like the idea that you can wander and
discover and go from room to room in a continuous way.”
To mark the flagship’s opening, Maier designed five limited-edition handbags each
inspired on some level by New York City, ranging from the neon lights of Times
Square to the Empire State Building. The bags range in price from $720 to $4,900.
Additionally, the company’s U.S. offices and showroom will be located above the
store.
The New York flagship showcases Bottega’s new store concept, which debuted in
the Paris store two years ago. Since then the company has opened stores with the
new concept in London, Milan, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Capri, Portofino, Coral
Gables and Manhasset.
But this isn’t the first round of renovations at Bottega. Soon after being purchased by
the Gucci Group in 2001, the firm did a quick renovation of the Bottega store on
Madison Avenue and others throughout the U.S., which reflected the company’s
interim design concept. The Madison Avenue store closed last week.
“Now we’re proceeding with our presence in New York,” said Patrizio Di Marco, chief
executive officer and president of Bottega Veneta, in a telephone interview. “We’re
opening here because there was a major opportunity when Gucci Group decided not
to open Boucheron in that space and it became available to us. It’s a prime retail spot
on Fifth Avenue, in a great neighborhood and it was important to us to show all of our
products and also the new [store] concept.
“In terms of expectation, we’re pretty confident that we are going to do much better
than before simply because Fifth Avenue is getting back to what it used to be — a
major, major shopping avenue,” said Di Marco. “It went through a few years with
entertainment stores here and there and now the street looks fabulous. So it’s a great
time for us to be here. Secondly, you have tourist flow that you don’t have on
Madison.”
Additionally, Bottega Veneta is the darling of Serge Weinberg, ceo of Gucci Group’s
parent Pinault-Printemps-Redoute. During a WWD interview last month, Weinberg
repeatedly expressed a fondness for Bottega, which is currently logging sales growth
in excess of 50 percent. The company’s volume is estimated at 95 million euros, or
$117.6 million at current exchange rates. Approximately 85 percent of the business is
retail and 15 percent is wholesale.
Bottega is planning to gradually open stores in Taiwan and Singapore, as well as a

few undisclosed locations in Japan, Europe and additional stores in the U.S. The
brand currently has 65 stores worldwide, including 11 freestanding units in the U.S.
— New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Costa Mesa, Chicago, Coral Gables,
Palm Beach, San Jose, Manhasset, and Ala Moana and Wailea, Hawaii. In addition,
it’s sold in high-end department and specialty stores nationwide, including Bergdorf
Goodman, Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Jeffrey New
York.
Published: Monday, June 14, 2004

Bottega Veneta’s German Push
By Melissa Drier
HAMBURG — Bottega Veneta is on the march in Germany.
The Italian luxury leather goods house opened a boutique in Hamburg last month,
just six weeks after setting up shop in Berlin, and six months after entering the
German market with its Munich flagship. That’s a very concentrated push in a retail
scene that is anything but buoyant.
But creative director Tomas Maier, who was in Hamburg to toast the latest Bottega
door, said more than his German heritage is in play here. He’s very bullish about the
company’s prospects in Germany, noting “if the market is lousy, that doesn’t mean it
has to be lousy for us.”
“Bottega Veneta can be a good brand for Germany. Germans like the combination of
design, quality and functionality,” he stated. And while insiders suggest Germany’s
well-heeled consumers now prefer to spend their euros away from home, where big-
ticket purchases have taken on a politically incorrect tinge, Maier countered: “If you’re
hooked to a product, you buy it where you can. This [Bottega Veneta] is limited. If you
like it, you buy it where you see it, for when it’s gone, it’s gone.”
The response in Berlin and Munich so far would seem to bear Maier out. While
neither he nor other company officials would talk figures, he said, “Berlin is doing
nicely and Munich is performing very well. Despite the climate, German exports are
up and there’s been expansion in economic growth. I don’t see why [the economy]
won’t eventually turn around, and when it does, we’ll have made the first round. We’ll
have contacted the clientele and we’ll be ready.”
All three German stores can be summed up in the German phrase klein aber fein, or
small but fine. All are situated on prime shopping streets: The Munich store at 24
Maximillianstrasse is about 450 square feet, whereas the Berlin door in Quartier 206
on Friedrichstrasse and the Hamburg shop at 22 Neuer Wall are around 979 square
feet. “You have to be prudent and not exaggerate square feet,” Maier commented.
“We do things step by step.”
Designed by Maier and architect William Sofield, the stores are intimate and
understated, and are representative of Bottega’s global retail design. Signature
features include walls covered with Asahi linen bookcloth, walnut display counters
with slide-out presentation panels sheathed in billiard cloth, vertical window blinds
made of palm wood and steel, suede upholstery, custom-dyed New Zealand wool
carpets and leather-covered door handles.
Given the square footage, however, the new German stores, and indeed the existing
65 Bottega Veneta units worldwide, can carry only a portion of the full Bottega range.
That will change with the new Bottega flagship in New York, set to open on Fifth
Avenue and 55th Street in July. With a total of over 10,000 square feet, it will be
Bottega’s biggest store in the world, and will feature not only all product categories,
including luggage, apparel and home, but will include a showroom as well.
The next major step, according to Maier, is a flagship in Japan that could house the
entire product range. “It would be fair to the market. We have 30 stores in Japan,” he
pointed out. “It’s my goal, but it’s a long-term project. It won’t happen overnight.”
Acquired only three years ago by the Gucci Group, Bottega has had “a very fast
turnaround and the plan is to break even next year,” a company spokeswoman said.
Gucci Group doesn’t break out sales figures for Bottega, but Maier said, “The
company is doing very well in all three markets — Europe, Asia and the U.S. Our
name recognition and brand awareness are growing.”
“We’re one of the few that has a product that never goes on sale,” the spokeswoman
said, “and our performance shows what this product category can be. Business in
China, Hong Kong and Japan is on fire.” She added that business as a whole “is way
above plan.” In one of his last interviews as Gucci’s chief executive last March,
Domenico De Sole said history will show that Bottega was the “best and most
successful” acquisition the group has ever made. March 2004 sales, he said, were up
more than 60 percent worldwide.
Although De Sole and Gucci creative director Tom Ford were responsible for bringing
Bottega — and Maier — into the Gucci stable, Maier said he hasn’t felt any
aftereffects now that there is a new era at the group, which is owned by the French
firm Pinault-Printemps-Redoute. “We had a close relationship to PPR before. They’re
not people we don’t know,” he said. “And sometimes changes are good. For other
people, like Tom and Domenico, too.”
Information extracted from PPR Gucci
interactive 2007 Annual Report
Bottega Veneta - meaning "Venetian atelier" ?- creates luxury goods based on its
core values of quality, craftsmanship, exclusivity and discreet luxury. The brand
began as a leather goods house made famous through its signature "intrecciato", a
unique leather weaving technique created by the Bottega Veneta craftsmen, and it
now also offers women and men’s ready-to-wear, shoes, sun-glasses and other
fashion accessories. The brand also successfully launched a fine jewellery line, and
new home furniture collections and decoration accessories.
Bottega Veneta is and will remain an exclusive niche market luxury brand and is
determined to reinforce its positioning as a luxury lifestyle brand.
From its inception, Bottega Veneta has been synonymous with the highest
craftsmanship, the choice of finest materials, and a design style that is innovative yet
sober. It was the first brand to introduce the deconstructed bag as opposed to the
usual rigid construction of handbags coming from the French school.
Under the creative direction of Tomas Maier and a strong management team,
Bottega Veneta has re-established its high-end luxury positioning with products that
satisfy the most demanding customers. By combining traditional luxury values -
exclusivity, craftsmanship and the highest quality - with innovation, Bottega Veneta
products present both modernity and timeless elegance. Bottega Veneta owes its
exceptional product quality to the work of its meticulous craftsmen based in its Venice
workshop. The brand’s slogan, "When your own initials are enough", and the Bottega
Veneta signature found solely inside its products are testament to the brand’s
understated elegance.
Bottega Veneta products are sold exclusively through a tightly controlled distribution
network of directly-operated stores, exclusive franchise stores and carefully selected
department and specialty stores around the world. In January 2007, Bottega Veneta
opened its first store in China in Shanghai followed by a second store in Beijing in
April. In April, Bottega Veneta also opened a new flagship store in Tokyo Ginza that
now represents the largest store in the network with a selling area of over 600 square
metres. In May, the Florence store was relocated to a beautiful historical building
right opposite to Palazzo Strozzi and in November, Bottega Veneta opened its 19th
US store in Boston Natick. By the end of 2008, the brand is planning to open 11
additional stores to the existing network in all the world’s major luxury goods markets.
Bottega Veneta posted record performances in 2007. Revenue grew to €366 million,
an increase of 48.7% on a comparable basis compared to the previous year. This
performance is primarily due to the remarkable success of the collections, in both
directly-operated stores (81% of the brand revenues) and wholesale distribution
networks. In 2007, Bottega Veneta posted recurring operating income of €92 million,
up 68.9%.
Key figures for Bottega Veneta
• Brand established in 1966

• 366 € million in revenue in 2007
• 92 € million in recurring operating income in 2007
• 1,235 employees at the end of 2007
• 111 directly-operated stores at the end of 2007
•
BREAKDOWN OF 2007 REVENUE BY PRODUCT CATEGORY
BREAKDOWN OF 2007 REVENUE BY GEOGRAPHICAL AREA
The magician of Venice
Tomas Maier is the craftsman behind the renaissance of Bottega Veneta. In

perfect harmony with the spirit of the brand, his signature style is a concept of
luxury where discretion sets off to perfection products of exceptional quality.
“I ask the workshops to perform a priori impossible feats,” Tomas Maier once
stated. Impossible perhaps. But in the spirit of Bottega Veneta, a house famous for its
woven leather goods. Chic, supple and sophisticated. Immediately identifiable, they
require neither a label nor a visible logo on the exterior. Elegance is carried, it is not
emblazoned…
Tomas Maier flawlessly interprets the Bottega Veneta spirit. With his bags, including
the famous shopping bag offered in a limited edition each year. His leather jackets as
light as shirts. His clothing cut close to the body… Everything that defines a
silhouette, a style. A Bottega Veneta line that Tomas Maier has been able to diversify
widely, beyond fine leather goods and ready-to-wear, within the universe of the
fashion house.
" Intrecciato " an exclusive workmanship of Bottega Veneta
Lovers of fine luxury goods are well aware that interlaced or woven leather –
“intrecciato” in Italian – remains the exclusive domain of Bottega Veneta, the
Venetian workshop. Behind these words lies the Italian luxury goods brand
that has always been associated with its iconic product: the woven leather bag,
the Veneta.
The founders of Bottega Veneta, Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro, opened their
leather workshop in 1966. Looking to stand out from their competitors, they came up
with a new way of using fine leathers.
Their idea was to create something new and unique and they realized this through
the woven leather.
This original technique allowed the creation of bags completely different from the
bags of that time: destructured, soft and in which the design and the quality of the
materials were the most important elements.
Bottega Veneta’s philosophy of no logo is reflected in its products, which all do not
carry a logo.
Since its introduction, the “intrecciato” workmanship, because of its originality, has
become the most recognized and important “trademark” of Bottega Veneta and the
exclusive visual signature of the brand.
A tradition that Tomas Maier, Creative Director, has maintained and developed.
3/ An interview from Bottega Veneta CEO

( in French)
INDUSTRIE • INTERVIEW
LE PRÉSIDENT DE BOTTEGA VENETA
Patrizio Di Marco : « Bottega Veneta veut être une marque de style de vie »
Les Echos n° 19672 du 23 Mai 2006 • page 28
Le maroquinier italien Bottega Veneta s'affirme, trimestre
après trimestre, comme l'une des plus spectaculaires relances
dans l'univers du luxe depuis deux ans, et l'une des nouvelles
pépites de Gucci Group et PPR. Le savoir-faire artisanal de
l'entreprise de Vicence dans le tressage du cuir a été réveillé
par le directeur artistique Tomas Maier et la marque sans logo
se donne à présent une dimension « style de vie ». Avec des
produits qui coûtent de 40 euros pour un parfum d'ambiance à
75.000 euros pour un grand cabas en crocodile tressé, le
président de Bottega Veneta, Patrizio Di Marco, vise 200
millions d'euros de chiffre d'affaires cette année et pense
dépasser à terme les 500 millions.
Les ventes de Bottega Veneta ont progressé de 77 % au premier trimestre. La
croissance va-t-elle continuer à ce rythme ?
Le fait que Bottega Veneta ait fait, l'an dernier, un bond de chiffre d'affaires de plus
de 60 %, à 160 millions d'euros, et ait dégagé un résultat d'exploitation de 14 millions
montre que le succès est réel. Après quatre ans de travail, la marque a atteint la
profitabilité avec deux ans d'avance sur la date fixée par le PDG de Gucci Group,
Robert Polet, dans son plan stratégique. Bottega Veneta devait aussi doubler le
niveau de ses ventes de 2004 dans les trois ans. Nous allons atteindre voire
dépasser cet objectif de 200 millions d'euros de chiffre d'affaires dès cette année,
donc en avance également, en étant bien entendu profitable.
Quel est le potentiel de la marque ?
Bottega Veneta est une marque de niche, qui s'adresse à une petite partie du
marché du luxe, le haut de gamme. Notre client fait partie de l'élite, c'est un
connaisseur, il est exigeant et veut la meilleure qualité. Il est donc très important de
rester nous-mêmes et il y a des limites à notre croissance. Nos produits doivent
rester rares et nous ne voulons pas être partout, mais nous n'avons encore que 86
magasins dans le monde. Ma priorité consiste à présent à transformer une marque
de maroquinerie en une marque style de vie et notre directeur artistique, Tomas
Maier, me surprend toujours par de nouvelles idées de produits. Je n'ai donc pas
d'inquiétudes à court, moyen ou long terme sur la capacité de Bottega Veneta à se
développer. La marque pourrait atteindre 500 millions d'euros de chiffre d'affaires,
peut-être plus. Etre une marque de niche ne signifie en tout cas pas forcément rester
petit. Les ventes d'Hermès, dont l'offre reste très exclusive, atteignent bien 1,4
milliard d'euros.
Quels investissements accompagnent ce développement ?
Le groupe Gucci et PPR nous ont toujours soutenus. Pour la distribution, la plupart
des investissements ont été réalisés entre l'été 2002 et décembre 2003. Sur cette
période, 28 magasins ont ouvert. Nous avons inauguré 18 boutiques en 2005. Et
pour les années à venir, le nombre d'ouvertures reste à définir. Nous souhaitons
étendre notre réseau, notamment par la franchise au Moyen-Orient et en Asie, en
ouvrir de plus grands et agrandir des boutiques existantes pour pouvoir montrer
l'ensemble de notre offre. C'est le cas en particulier au Japon où nos 37 boutiques
sont en moyenne de 65 à 75 mètres carrés, ce qui est peu par rapport au marché.
Nous allons aussi achever la mise en place de notre nouveau « concept » dans
l'ensemble de nos points de vente. C'est fait à 70 %. Parallèlement, nous avons
réduit le coût d'investissement au mètre carré de 50 % en quatre ans.
Et dans la production ?
Nous travaillons sur la construction d'un nouvel atelier à Vicence dans lequel nous
emménagerons d'ici à deux ans. Nous avons besoin d'espace. Pour l'instant, nous
avons dû loger une partie des bureaux dans un bâtiment de l'autre côté de la route.
Par ailleurs, notre savoir-faire artisanal constitue un avantage compétitif et nous
devons impérativement le garder dans notre région de la Vénétie. Pour cela, il faut
mettre en place une nouvelle génération d'artisans. Nous avons donc décidé de
lancer un cycle de formation de trois ans pour 15 personnes de 18 à 20 ans, en
association avec une école locale. L'enseignement débutera après l'été. Les
professeurs seront des artisans qui travaillent actuellement chez nos partenaires ou
en interne.
Tous vos sacs resteront fabriqués à la main à l'avenir ?
C'est une obligation. Sinon, nous perdrions l'intégrité de la marque et la confiance de
nos clients

Bottega Veneta

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International Luxury Distribution

Bottega Veneta case study: a successful case of

Case study abstract written by Maya de Liedekerke

Documentation provided by Denis Morisset

To facilitate class discussion, primarily focused on brand rejuvenation, distribution

1/ Rejuvenating and turning around a luxury brand

Can we draw a portrait of Bottega Veneta typical client?

2/ Brand extension and co-branding

3/ International distribution and retail culture

Bottega Veneta: How to sublimate discretion

A strong heritage of innovation, discretion and craftsmanship

“Bottega Veneta” means Venetian workshop and was created in 1966 by

The craftsmanship nowadays

The workshop manufactures the new collection prototypes as well as specific

Towards a life style brand

« Our know-how is the key success of the brand. We are now

Encouraged by its tremendous success, Bottega Venetta is currently

After shoes, clothing, accessories and furniture, the brand developed

The sublime discretion

The reputation of Bottega Veneta is to have a chicness that exists outside

The reward of ambition and integrity

Bottega Veneta to Relaunch Web Site

A page from Bottega Veneta’s Web site.

Photo By Courtesy Photo

A page from Bottega Veneta’s Web site.

Bottega Veneta's Men's Line Finds its Stride

Photo By Courtesy Photo

Bottega Veneta Men's RTW Spring 2011

Photo By: Mauricio Miranda

Bottega Veneta men’s collection has hit the ground running.

Maier said he wanted to communicate that sense of precision in Bottega Veneta’s

“Men’s clothing should be functional. I think as beautiful as it is, as beautiful as it

The Bottega Veneta men’s range currently includes ready-to-wear, accessories,

The watch features 18-karat rose-gold components, a brushed-titanium case and a

To increase loyalty, Maier said he was in the process of considering a men’s-only

As You Like It: Bottega Veneta Touts Custom Items

Bags from Bottega Veneta.

Photo By Karen Hoyt

CHICAGO — Bottega Veneta is more than willing to cater to a client’s special

PPR Reports Revenues Up 1.2 Percent

PARIS — PPR is out of the doldrums.

Tomas Maier's Glittering Moscow Tour

Photo By Courtesy Photo

Nikolai Uskov, Tomas Maier and Aliona Doletskaya

Photo By: Miguel

Bottega Veneta Opens at CityCenter

Bottega's New CEO to Keep 'Winning Strategy'

Photo By Courtesy Photo

Speaking at Bottega Veneta’s new 108,000-square-foot headquarters here, Bizzarri

Despite the risks connected to stocking merchandise, production is linked to the

In a cost-cutting move, Bizzarri decided stocks should be managed centrally rather

A new e-business dedicated team implemented some technical changes and

Coming up next, Maier is set on adding a licensed Bottega Veneta fragrance,

Bottega Veneta Men's RTW Spring 2010

Bottega Veneta Men's Spring 2010

Posted Wednesday June 10, 2009

Bottega Veneta opened its seventh store in China.

Gucci Group is busy in Shanghai these days.

Posted Tuesday April 14, 2009

Bergdorf Expands the World of Bottega Veneta

Bergdorf’s cross-merchandises Bottega Veneta ready-to-wear and home.

Bergdorf Goodman is having a Bottega Veneta moment and hoping recession-weary