First off, there’s this whole “craft in motion, made in Italy” thing. Right? Okay, so it’s just a tagline, but like, it *sounds* fancy. It makes you think of some old Italian artisan, slaving away over some supple leather, not, you know, a factory in… where *do* they actually make these things? Anyway, the point is, it *feels* luxurious. Which, let’s face it, is half the battle when you’re talking about designer stuff.
I saw one, I think it was called the “Intrecciato leather bucket hat”. Bucket hat, I know, I know. Sounds kinda dorky, right? But in Bottega Veneta’s hands, it probably isn’t. All that woven leather… looks kinda cool. I mean, not like, “I’m gonna wear this to the grocery store” cool. More like, “I’m gonna wear this to a rooftop party in Miami and pretend I’m a celebrity” cool. You know?
And then there’s the whole “custom-made” idea. I haven’t seen anything *explicitly* saying they do totally bespoke hats, but it kinda seems implied, right? What with the “Personalise” section of their site and all. Imagine having a hat made *just for you* by Bottega Veneta. Like, color coordinated to your favorite handbag, or with your initials stitched inside in, like, platinum thread or something. Okay, maybe I’m getting carried away. But the possibilities!
But, and here’s where I get a little cynical… I can just *feel* my personal information being harvested the minute I even *think* about clicking on the “Personalise” button. You know how it is. “Oh, you want a custom hat? Sure, just give us your blood type, your mother’s maiden name, and your social security number.” (Kidding! Mostly.) I mean, they gotta process your order, right? And give you “related services,” whatever *that* means. Probably just more targeted ads for overpriced leather goods.
