The Bottega Veneta Cassette

Bottega Veneta built its reputation on a single idea: leather woven so well that a logo becomes unnecessary. The Cassette brings that idea into a compact, modern crossbody bag. In its padded form the weave becomes generous and soft, like a quilt made of leather.

Key facts

House	Bottega Veneta, founded in Vicenza in 1966
Signature technique	Intrecciato, hand-woven leather
Introduced	2019
Signature details	Woven body, no external logo, adjustable strap
Versions	Classic intrecciato and padded intrecciato

Intrecciato

Bottega Veneta was founded in Vicenza, in north-east Italy, in 1966. Its intrecciato, a method of weaving narrow strips of leather by hand into a dense lattice, became the house's signature in the 1970s. For decades Bottega Veneta's bags carried no visible logo at all; the weave was recognition enough. The house's motto has long been "when your own initials are enough".

The Cassette

The Cassette was introduced in 2019, in Daniel Lee's first collections as creative director, and quickly became one of the house's most recognisable modern designs. It is a rectangular shoulder bag with a flap, sized for a phone, cards and keys, on an adjustable strap that lets it be worn on the shoulder or across the body.

The padded Cassette, which followed later in 2019, exaggerates the weave: broad, cushioned leather strips are woven in an oversized intrecciato, so the bag is plump and tactile.

We have a Bottega Veneta padded Cassette in black in the shop now.

Wearing it

The Cassette's appeal is its quietness. In black it works with almost everything, from denim to evening dress. Worn crossbody it leaves the hands free; on the shoulder it reads as a neat evening bag. Its compact size makes it a natural everyday companion.

Classic and padded

The classic Cassette uses the house's familiar narrow intrecciato, woven flat across a structured body. It is neat and precise, and it holds its rectangular shape well. The padded Cassette uses broad strips stuffed with soft padding, woven in a large-scale lattice. It is softer to the touch and visibly plumper, with a relaxed, cushioned silhouette. Both share the same proportions, the flap closure and the adjustable strap. The padded version is the more playful of the two; the classic is the more discreet.

Colours

Black is the most versatile and the most enduring. The house has also made the Cassette in many seasonal colours, from soft neutrals to the vivid green associated with Bottega Veneta's recent collections. Seasonal colours are made in smaller numbers, which is one reason so many of them now appear only on the pre-loved market.

Care for woven leather

• Store it stuffed with tissue so the woven panels do not sag or crease.
• Support the weave. Avoid hanging heavy items from the strap for long periods, which can stretch the strands.
• Keep it dry. Lambskin intrecciato is soft and marks with water; blot gently if it gets wet.
• Brush away dust from between the strips with a very soft brush.
• Keep hand cream away from the leather, which darkens easily.

See our leather handbag care guide.

Authenticating Bottega Veneta

The quality of a genuine weave is immediately apparent: strips are even in width, tightly and regularly woven, with neat, finished ends. We also examine leather, edges, stitching, hardware, interior stamps and labels. Read our Bottega Veneta brand guide or browse Bottega Veneta in our shop.