A new school to foster the next generation of artisanal talent will train and hire 50 students a year.

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.

The Accademia Labor et Ingenium’s first external collaboration begins on 16th October, with a bespoke seven-week masterclass in partnership with Università Iuav di Venezia. “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.