The Moomins Have Moved Into Bottega Veneta’s Intrecciato
Bags, charms and home objects borrow apron stripes, comic panels and cover art from the books.
Summary
Bottega Veneta teams up with Moomin on a collection of bags, wallets, charms and home objects based on Tove Jansson’s characters and stories
Key pieces turn story details into leather, from Moominmamma’s striped apron to the walls and roof of Moominhouse
Three-dimensional character charms and a hand-crocheted Snufkin figurine extend the house’s leatherwork beyond bags
Bottega Veneta has partnered with Moomin on a collection that turns Tove Jansson’s characters, color palettes and storybook scenes into handbags, small leather goods and objects for the home. Rather than putting characters on the surface, the collection builds the references into weaves, hardware and hand-shaped leather, so many of the nods only show up up close.
The clearest example is the Small Andiamo, whose design starts from Moominmamma’s striped apron. Red and soft white leathers alternate through the house’s intrecciato weave, and a gold-tone knot detail serves as the hardware. Because the reference comes through in color, the bag works even for someone who has never read the books.
Several other silhouettes hide their story references in less obvious places. The Large Pinacoteca tote carries comic strip panels, and select wallets use blue and red tones that echo the exterior walls and roof of Moominhouse. On the Small Cabat, the original cover art from Comet in Moominland is placed on the internal pouch, so the reference is only visible once the bag is open.
The leather charms are where the craft becomes most sculptural. Artisans hand-weave the Moomintroll charm from tubular Nappa leather to recreate his round shape, while the Moominmamma charm adds her striped apron and a miniature intrecciato bag of her own. A Moominhouse charm and a pencil holder stocked with colored pencils carry the story’s architecture into everyday objects.
The Snufkin figurine is the most labor-intensive piece in the collection. It is made from finely cut Nappa leather worked with a crochet technique that takes artisans several days to finish. The result has a tactile, three-dimensional texture that differs from the house’s usual woven bags, showing how far the collaboration stretches Bottega Veneta’s leather techniques.
The Bottega Veneta x Moomin collection launches early in Japan at an Isetan Shinjuku pop-up on November 11. It then rolls out on November 18 to the Ginza and Omotesando flagships, the Hankyu Umeda leather goods store and Bottega Veneta’s Japanese website.
