GC Magazine - Galleria Cavour

The Lauren 1980 bag by Bottega Veneta: history of an icon

17 April - 2024

Lauren 1980 - Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta‘s new Lauren 1980 bag in padded leather with a barolo-coloured woven pattern is the object of desire of the moment and is also the undisputed star of the new window display that the maison’s Galleria Cavour boutique has rightly dedicated to it. An emblem of a luxury that needs no logos to express itself and a symbol of enigmatic, timeless charm, this bag is undoubtedly one of the season’s most eagerly awaited arrivals.

Matthieu Blazy‘s is, however, only the latest reinterpretation of a model that owes its name to Lauren Hutton, the actress and beauty icon who became an unwitting testimonial for the brand when, in 1980, in the cult film American Gigolo, she sported a Bottega Veneta clutch bag that inspired the subsequent models that bear her name, including, of course, the current one. The movie, opposite Richard Gere, thanks to its intriguing plot, outrageous scenes and the sex appeal of the two leads, became one of the great Hollywood classics and catapulted the actress into the firmament of cinema.

Hutton’s beauty, celebrated for being both captivating and soapy, earned her the record for the number of appearances for an actress on the cover of Vogue: no fewer than 25 covers of the famous fashion magazine to which the star has lent her face. For the Italian fashion house, however, it is the beginning of a love story with a muse capable of embodying the magnetic essence of the brand and that sophisticated, hypnotic and never over the top beauty. The union is such that, on the occasion of the brand’s 50th anniversary, the famous actress is recalled on the catwalk as a special guest of excellence, making the model created in her honour a true status symbol.

It is no coincidence that the bag, in addition to the name of its muse, also bears the number 1980, the year the famous Golden Globe-winning film was released. The latest model that has just arrived in boutiques features the top colour of the spring/summer season and the iconic intrecciato weave deliberately padded for the occasion. Cinema and fashion have consecrated this creation, which has become a real must-have, making it immortal just as works of art are.