Bottega Veneta continues the celebration of one of its most renowned bags, through a traveling exhibition,"The Knot: A Retrospective." The exhibition, originally announced in April of 2008 in Milan, on the occasion of the handbag's 30th anniversary, continues to travel to select Bottega Veneta stores around the world. At each location, acocktail reception for invited customers and press allows them to view the exhibition, which showcases over 50 versions of the iconic bag.
The Knot is one of Bottega Veneta's most recognizable and beloved handbags. When Tomas Maier took the reins as Creative Director in 2001, he recognized the special quality of the company's small, rounded box clutch. Maier created a new closure in the shape of a small leather knot and gave the bag its name. Since then, versions of the Knot have been featured in every Bottega Veneta collection. Its perfect shape and clear function have proved an irresistible canvas forMaier and the Bottega Veneta artisans.
Modern interpretations have ranged from the refined to the fanciful, including the Origami Knot, of intricately creased patent leather; the Jardin Knot, crafted from a profusion of leather blossoms; a Vintage Jewel Knot, embroidered with antique crystals; the Memory Knot, of Nappa leather constructed with a metallic aluminum film that uniquely holds the shape to the touch; the Enameled knot, contrasting the softness of the Nappa lining and the toughness of the metal shell; the Metal lace Knot, made of two metal lace gussets encompassing aluxurious satin panel; and others of woven sterling silver, padded satin, and soft crocodile.
While the Knot is frequently copied, no imitation comes close to the quality, craftsmanship, and beauty of the genuine article. Many styles of the Knot are extremely limited in availability, with editions ranging from 100 to as little as 25, depending upon production and theavailability of the rare materials used to make them.
For Creative Director Tomas Maier, one of the biggest challenges with initially organizing the retrospective was finding examples from the 1980s and '90s. "The company never kept an archive," explains Maier, "so to reconstruct the history of the Knot we had to search in vintage stores and private collections. It's been like a treasure hunt." The bag has both historical and creative significance for Maier. "The Knot is very much a symbol of Bottega Veneta, a link to the company's history and to its future. For me personally, it's a pleasure to design, an opportunity for a special kind of creative exploration."
