Bottega Veneta hosted an event last week at Chiswick House and invited us to explore their Italian provenance and heritage of craftsmanship.
“The Hand of the Artisan” transported its atelier from the quaint town of Montebello Vicentino to London including many of their craftspeople.
The setting couldn’t be more fitting as Chiswick House is an 18th-century villa whose architecture was inspired by the style of Venetian architect Andrea Palladio.
I reviewed the 6 first Parco Palladiano fragrances for beautyblog.gr in June 2016 and actually included a photo of Chiswick House in the post. You can have a look here if you like!
Within the grand rooms of Chiswick House we took part in a number of interactive experiences;
Exploring the craft of Bottega Veneta’s iconic bags and jewellery, discovering rare styles from its archive, beautiful installations and real time hand making of these gorgeous bags.
The most exciting part for me was the Parco Palladiano fragrances, in a room of their own, beautifully presented all the initial 6 plus the newest 3 additions, VII an ode to lilac, blended with sea salt and luminous lavender, VII a bright and sparkling orange orchard vision and my favourite IX, a very interesting violet scent, delicate, dry and woody with a soft musky darkness.
After the tour was over we had a chance to drink delicious prosecco, eat tasty nibbles and try our own hand at craftsmanship by assembling a keyring from – almost – scratch.
Finally you could have a video souvenir made to share via social media, in the bespoke kaleidoscopic digital booth. A beautiful experience very fitting to celebrate the rich heritage of Bottega Veneta!