Fashion: The Height Of Luxury

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The woman who buys Bottega may not need logos, but she sure needs a lot of cash. A typical bag--the popular woven Cabat tote, for example--rings in at more than $2,000 and can run as high as $75,000 if made in an exotic skin such as crocodile. The company's real signature--woven, or intrecciato, leather--was developed in 1966 when Bottega Veneta started as a family business in the Veneto region of Italy, an area known for soft leather and the craftsmen who know how to manipulate it. The big idea back then--and still today--was to use glove leather for bags, creating a soft, slouchy shape and more casual style, one that didn't need logos. The original company slogan says it all: "When your own initials are enough."