Bottega Veneta: Are its days of subtle luxury over?

The first time I shopped at Bottega Veneta was in the fall of 2003. I was in the brand’s Monte Napoleone flagship in Milan, it’s darkly lit interior reminiscent of a decadent cigar bar, and mesmerised not by the curated display of luxury goods, but the visible craft of its products. On that visit I bought a pair of intrecciato slip-on loafers and bi-fold wallet in the same leather, the house’s buttery soft signature woven leather that is handmade in its atelier in Montebello Vicentino, Veneto.