IT SOUNDS LIKE heresy. Tomas Maier, creative director of Bottega Veneta, says he wouldn't dream of designing a must-have bag - the proverbial bread and butter of luxury brands since Fendi started a feeding frenzy with its Baguette.
'I don't believe in that concept personally,' says Maier, 'I think women are intelligent and it's the women who make the bag a must-have. They figure out what they want and they determine the icon bags over time. It takes more than one season. Easy come, easy go, you know.'
At a time when fashion is barrelling ahead at breakneck speed, Bottega Veneta is taking the slow road to success. The Italian luxury goods brand, founded in Vicenza in 1966 and bought by Gucci Group in 2001, is almost anti-fashion in its approach to design: styles evolve over several seasons, are almost totally hand-crafted and there are no logos to speak of. Its motto: When your own initials are enough.
Maier, 47, has much to do with carrying on the flame. Hired by Tom Ford after the takeover (the two had been friends for years), the designer has brought the brand back to its roots after a brief but ill-fated flirtation with big BV logos by predecessor Giles Deacon. In three short years, Maier has effectively erased the period from the collective consciousness, restoring an image of consistency, stealth and debt-inducing luxury. He has also, ironically, come up with what may well be his own must-have bag.
Called the Cabat, or work bag, this supple tote is well on its way to joining the house's signature hobo bag, Hermes' Kelly and Chanel's chain-strapped shoulder bag in the accessories pantheon. Using the brand's labour-intensive intrecciato technique, in which fettucine-sized strips of leather are woven into intricate lattice works, the bag takes two artisans and as many days to complete. As a result, only 200 are produced a season. At $26,000-$35,000 a piece, you'll have to join Jennifer Lopez, Madonna and Kylie Minogue on the waiting list.
Quality, coupled with solid design, is at the crux of Maier's ethos. From bags and shoes to homewares and a limited selection of ready-to-wear, no corners are cut. 'I try to be real,' Maier says. 'It's a luxury product, an expensive product, and I think you have to be honest and give your customer the maximum for their money. If she finds out afterwards that the velvet, for instance, is actually a cheap, burned-out trick, a quick moneymaker, she'll feel very deceived and will leave you. You have to establish a very long-term relationship.'
For this reason, Maier makes a point of visiting the boutiques as often as he can, including the Harbour City outpost - one of three in Hong Kong - where we meet. 'It's funny,' he says, 'Wherever I go, I talk to the shop managers and they always tell me the same thing: that clients come in, look, and then leave. But then they come back and buy. I like that. I don't think you should push people to shop, especially with a product and price point like ours. You should see it, remember it - even compare it with other things - before making the investment.'