Making the Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Cassette Bag in Denim

Nine panels, thirty six pins, and a dozen attempts at a cube

The weave, that’s it, that’s the design. Intrecciato means “braided”, and it showcases shape and craftsmanship. When I picked the dark denim for this design, parting from the light blue in the original design, I was inspired by the blue of the West African indigo textiles, a reminder of my roots. It is both classic and modern.

Cutting and sewing the nine panels individually is the most labor intensive phase of the bag construction. The panels made of denim over interfacing have to be assembled in a consistent manner, pressed and turned perfectly symmetrical.

Weaving the panels requires the most focus to align them perfectly in a cube.

Pinning is tricky as each of the 36 heavy duty pins that hold the structure together can disturb the integrity of the cube. Case in point, it took me a dozen trials to arrive at the final shape.

After reinforcing the structure, picking the rivets, the swivels, the bag chain and feet are the most fun part of the process. It is like picking an accessory that completes a look. The brass hardware gives the bag an old charm that could be found in vintage adornment. The strap sits on my shoulder like jewelry. The “cerise sur le gâteau” is the leather tassel cut from leftovers of other projects.

Intrecciato has been around for centuries but Bottega Veneta made the technique popular in the 70s. The weave sits at 45 degrees inclination, instead of a conventional horizontal position that I used here.