This is the sickest Bottega Veneta bag I’ve seen in years. (And that’s saying a lot.)
Tomas Maier is the master of manipulating materials, and now he has outdone himself: here he takes paper pulp and turns it into magic. We first got the word that Bottega was working with paper in time for Fashion’s Night Out back in September. Now it has officially hit the store.
Giapponese is, of course, “Japanese” in Italian, which makes sense. The bag has a definitively Japanese vibe: the idea of taking paper and engineering it into something else entirely. It’s like origami on crack. The simple shape really holds up, paper or not; instead of your traditional flap bag, the flap tucks inside the bag for extra security. Even the straps are new for BV: metal mesh makes the perfect juxtaposition for a delicate and fragile paper bag, and you can even remove it to convert to clutch.
Obviously, if you live in a rainy climate, this bag would be in danger but lucky for me, I live in the desert! They have seriously taken the term “paper bag” and turned it on its head. And for once, you get a price break with a Bottega. At $1,400, it’s not bad for a work of sheer genius and astute ingenuity. At Bottega Veneta for $1,460.
Pair with: Play with mixed weaves and add Proenza Schouler’s leather-trimmed basketweave skirt, right in time to kick off spring early. On Net-a-Porter
