Bottega Veneta was founded in Vicenza in 1966 and built its name on intrecciato, leather cut into strips and woven by hand. The house famously carried little or no external logo, which means the weave and the finishing do most of the work in authentication. Daniel Lee's 2019 Pouch, Cassette and Jodie brought the house a new wave of demand and a new wave of copies.
The weave
Genuine intrecciato is woven from real strips of leather, tightly and evenly tensioned, with the strips lying flat and the pattern running square to the bag. The edges of each strip are finished. Weaving that is loose, irregular or slightly crooked, strips that are glued down, or a "weave" that is embossed or printed onto a single sheet of leather are the clearest tells. On padded styles such as the Padded Cassette, the strips should be plump and evenly filled.
Stamps and tags
Inside, a heat stamp reads "BOTTEGA VENETA" and the country of manufacture, in clean, evenly pressed lettering. Many bags also carry a small leather or fabric tag with production codes. Specialists note that those codes identify a style, colour and batch, not an individual bag, and that they are copied; they should simply be plausible for the model and its era.
Construction and hardware
Bottega's finishing is quiet but exact: even stitching, smooth painted edges and hardware that is weighty and discreet. The Jodie's knot should be soft and full, and the Pouch's gathered frame should fold cleanly with no visible glue.
Packaging
Dust bags and boxes are copied and are not evidence.
When to get a professional opinion
Recent styles are copied closely, so for any purchase of value use Fashionphile, Rebag, The RealReal or an independent authenticator.