Amid a broader slowdown in the global luxury goods industry (well, unless you’re Chanel), brands have had to trial new/refreshed strategies in order to secure the loyalty of their VIP clientele.
In no particular order: these include all-expense trips to important craft centres (e.g. the Gucci High Watchmaking salon); invite-only digs in a capital European city (à la Chopard’s hotel at 1 Place Vendôme); and now, in a move by Bottega Veneta, a dedicated space in Venice “for cultural advocacy” — where the tippy-top of the Italian fashion house’s clientele are able to immerse themselves in “exclusive design and extraordinary craft.”
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Speaking to the press (via the Financial Times) earlier this week, CEO Leo Rongone dubbed this new experiential initiative ‘Palazzo Bottega Veneta’: a three-way hybrid between a VIP salon, artists’ collective and heritage museum.
“Bottega Veneta, unlike many other brands…was born of the passion of a collective of people,” said Rongone. “This spirit of community is extremely important to us and goes beyond the brand. There’s a sense of encounter and exchange. What we wanted to do is give a physical space to [that] spirit.”
Housed within the confines of the Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel, Palazzo Bottega Veneta looks — based on imagery available at this early stage — to be a striking embodiment of the brand’s universe. The new VIP residence still retains its historical 14th-century façade; and inside, the various courtyards and two-story floorplan feature materials recovered from a Byzantine palace once located in the nearby district of Gradenigo.
Aside from its primary function as an exclusive salon for Bottega Veneta’s most dedicated customers, the residence will host a revolving door of third-party artisans: selected in accordance with the brand’s ‘Bottega for Bottegas’ mission, which aims to lend visibility to “other experts of artisan-made products.”
“We will welcome emerging gallerists and artists,” continues Rongone. “People who are not normally exposed to the ultra-high-net-worth client will meet that client.”
This, along with the usual slate of red carpet services and made-to-order consultation. According to representatives of the brand, Palazzo Bottega Veneta is the first of several such VIP client-only sites that will be launching in the near future: across “Asia and the Americas,” in a handful of as-yet-unconfirmed cities.
