Bottega Veneta sandals and accessories are 2021’s hottest must-haves—but are they worth it?
Since 35-year-old British designer Daniel Lee took the helm as creative director, Bottega Veneta has been one of the hottest brands in the luxury fashion arena. Over the past three years Bottega trended on social media and dominated the fashion market, winning four British Fashion Awards.
With its minimal, sophisticated, high-quality designer staples, Bottega Veneta positions itself in juxtaposition to flashy, logo-based fashion. It is doubtlessly a symbol of timeless luxury fashion. An investment worth making, if you ask us.
The It Bag – Killing the Designer Handbag Game
A leather accessories business at heart, Bottega Veneta has always been renowned for its range of designer handbags, several of which have reached a cult-like status—”It Bags”—so to speak.
Bottega Veneta’s The Pouch clutch bag was one of Lee’s first designs, and it has been spotted in the hands of countless celebrities, including Rihanna and Kylie Jenner. It’s an oversized clutch, with a magnetic closure and soft, buttery folds.
The Pouch Clutch Bag is both functional and a standout accessory. This simple but elegant designer clutch bag comes in a variety of colours and textures, including the brand’s signature woven intrecciato leather.
But the 2021 Bottega Veneta It Bag has to be the Point Leather Bag. This handbag stands out for its triangular handle, the geometry of which is in clear juxtaposition to its pillowy folds, reminiscent of the Pouch bag itself.
The Point bag is available in two different sizes and in a rainbow of shades, including teal and green, alongside neutrals, and of course the intrecciato weave. Hailey Bieber has been spotted sporting a brand-new Point bag, the newest addition to her extensive Bottega collection!
Other timeless #newBottega handbag designs include the Marie Shoulder Bag and the Cassette, but we believe the Point bag to be the 2021 must-have!
Bottega Veneta Sandals – Square Toed and Woven Shoes
Ever since Daniel Lee took the lead in 2018, Bottega Veneta sandals have become some of the most sought-after fashion items. The brand was previously not well-known for its footwear, but Lee’s creative team has turned the category into one of its most visible. There’s no getting around it: Bottega Veneta sandals are the hot item.
With the quilted square-toed pumps of the Fall 2019 collection, Bottega Veneta revived the ’90s trend, and in the newest collections of Bottega Veneta sandals, the square-toe has become the brand’s signature feature. That and the traditional interwoven leather, that is.
The new woven Lido Sandals combine both of these features, and the end result is a classy, feminine designer shoe, with a modern twist. And for those who prefer flats, the Lido sandals are available also in a heelless, yet equally elegant version: the Flat Lido Sandals.
But what makes Bottega Veneta sandals so popular is not only their beautifully minimal design: it is also their comfort. The sandals are made in exceptionally supple leather, and they have a rubber-injected leather sole for added comfort and stability.
These comfortable luxury sandals are a designer staple, that can be easily paired with anything and immediately takes an outfit to the next level.
Digital Fashion Magazine: Leaving Social Media
Social media represents the homogenization of culture. Everyone sees the same stream of content. A huge amount of thought goes into what I do, and social media oversimplifies it.
In January 2021, Bottega Veneta surprised the world of fashion by quitting social media, leaving followers facing a “page not found” message. The luxury brand shut down its Instagram and Twitter accounts, and deleted all posts from its Facebook page. A very unexpected move, explained by the following launch of a digital fashion magazine Issue.
The new quarterly publication features not only fashion photography, but also videos and music—the first edition of Issue, titled Summer Madness, includes a new music video for Missy Elliott’s 1999 track “Hot Boyz”.
In a social-media-oriented consumer culture, Bottega Veneta’s move is certainly bold, and speaks volumes of creative director Lee’s vision and beliefs. “Social media represents the homogenization of culture,” Lee told The Guardian. “Everyone sees the same stream of content. A huge amount of thought goes into what I do, and social media oversimplifies it.” The online fashion magazine Issue, he hopes, will offer “more progressive and more thoughtful” content.
Over the past years, Instagram and other social media have replaced the fashion magazine as a platform. Does Bottega Veneta’s statement mean that magazines are making a comeback? We certainly hope so. Here at italist we strongly believe in the cultural value of magazines, and that they and social networks can co-exist. In our own fashion magazine section, we share articles on fashion trends, interviews with designers, fashion tips, and much more.
Nevertheless, Bottega Veneta has not completely vanished from the fashion Instagram scene. Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault stated that the brand’s new marketing plan is to “lean much more on its ambassadors and fans […] by letting them speak for the brand rather than doing it itself.” And this seems to be working: influencers and celebrities keep posting pictures of their Bottega items, and the fan account @newbottega now has half a million followers.
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About the Author
Alex English is the Head of Content Marketing at italist.com, building on a lifelong passion for fashion and luxury. After publishing a lifestyle blog for nearly ten years and obtaining an MBA in Milan at SDA Bocconi, one of Europe’s top business schools, he joined the italist team in 2019. His work since then has focused on upper-funnel messaging, brand storytelling, establishing italist as a thought leader in the space, and enriching the customer experience on the platform. Find him on LinkedIn.