Bottega Veneta Launches Accademia Labor Et Ingenium, a New School To Foster the Next Generation of Artisanal Talent
Bottega Veneta deepens its commitment to artisanal craft this October with the launch of Accademia Labor et Ingenium. The academy builds on Bottega Veneta’s integral connection to the traditional “bottega” or “workshop”, where a collective of artisans honed their skills and transmitted knowledge from one generation to the next. The name derives from the brand’s founding values, as seen in its original company crest: Labor et Ingenium, “Craft and Creativity”.
Based between the Bottega Veneta atelier in Montebello Vicentino and a dedicated new space at the brand’s manufacturing site in Povolaro Dueville, Accademia Labor et Ingenium will serve as a permanent workshop, where Bottega Veneta employees, new hires, and external students can learn from master artisans through training activities, workshops, and courses.
A central pillar of the academy will be a comprehensive training program for 50 students a year, with guaranteed employment at Bottega Veneta on completion of the course. The program is led by a community of five Bottega Veneta master artisans and champions the collective ethos that has defined the company since its foundation in 1966.
In addition, Accademia Labor et Ingenium will provide upskilling and reskilling curricula for existing Bottega Veneta employees, as well as training collaborations with regional partners to promote the creativity and dynamism of the Veneto region and impart the Made in Italy heritage.
“Accademia Labor et Ingenium is a key strategic pillar to preserve Bottega Veneta’s unique savoir-faire,” said Bottega Veneta CEO, Leo Rongone. “Exceptional craft and creativity are essential to our brand and to the heritage of our home region in Veneto. With the Accademia, we take the collective ethos at the heart of Bottega Veneta to a new level, building on our rich history of skill-sharing and innovation to nurture the artisans of the future.”
The Accademia Labor et Ingenium’s first external collaboration begins on 16th October, with a bespoke seven-week masterclass in partnership with University IUAV in Venice. “The Artisanal Creative Process: Training Course in Bag Design & Product Development” will offer eight students, selected from the IUAV network, a unique program of classroom, virtual, and atelier-based learning.
The curriculum includes the prototyping and production of different bag shapes and finishes, as well as insights into the luxury sector, and the development of professional communication and relationship-building proficiencies. The masterclass, led by Ruggero Negretto, is the brand’s fourth partnership with IUAV, following successful collaborations in 2012, 2015, and 2017.
One of Bottega Veneta’s longest-serving employees, Negretto joins the master artisan collective at Accademia Labor et Ingenium to transmit the skills, values, and company culture passed down by the brand’s original artisans.
“As a young apprentice at Bottega Veneta, I learned from the expertise, passion, and precision of more experienced artisans,” said Ruggero Negretto. “It’s a great honor and responsibility to pass on this unique knowledge to a new generation and continue the great tradition of the bottega in all its community, creativity, and cultural heritage.”
