NEW FRAGRANCE REVIEW Bottega Veneta: Amica Per La Pelle + Friends For Life Draw

When Italians refer to someone as an “amica per la pelle” they mean “friends for the skin”- aka bosom buddies, friends for life.


This is an excellent place to start!

Bottega Veneta– the prominent house of exquisitely handmade leather goods- has finally launched its first foray into The Fragrant World.

I think it was worth the wait.


Bottega Veneta translates as Venetian Atelier.

This is precisely how the firm began in Vicenza in 1966, by creating artisanal pelleterie.

Their credo pleases me: When your own initials are enough.

That’s a gorgeous thought, and the eponymous perfume illustrates this brilliantly, from start to finish- Murano bottle included.

Besides the credo, Bottega Veneta created a technique of weaving fine supple leathers known as intrecciato- which requires two people using opposing forces to produce the intricate pattern which is their distinctive hallmark.


This recurring woven design appears in so many of their goods: gold chains and other fine jewelry, Murano glassware, hand-painted china, bags, gloves, shoes, wallets, luggage, fashion, even sunglasses…

Apparently, intrecciato is an integral theme in the creation of their fragrance, according to Carole Werner of Coty, with whom I spoke earlier this week

Carole likened this interweaving of the notes in BV to the same artistry inherent in their leather goods.

The plot thickens.

Who would be entrusted with the task of creating the iconic fragrance?

 

Coty Prestige chose Michel Almairac of Robertet as the nose behind BV.

His roster of beloved perfumes is awe-inducing, I can’t name them all, but here is a smattering of those we adore:


L’Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses

Chopard Casmir

Chloe [re-issue]

Bond No. 9’s: West Side, Scent of Peace, Bryant Park, Coney Island, Fire Island, Sak’s Fifth Avenue for Him and Her

Gres Cabaret

Gucci : Rush, Rush 2, Gucci Pour Homme, Eau de Gucci

Burberry Women

Rochas Lumière

Paloma Picasso Minotaure

Ghost

Dunhill

Shiseido Zen for Women

Le Labo Ambrette 9

 

Bottega Veneta is characterized as a leathery floral chypre; I’d add that it possesses subtle Oriental undertones.

Somehow, the description above feels like a carapace, secreting all the mystery beneath.

The notes listed seem incomplete, a mere skeletal suggestion.


Notes:

Italian bergamot, Brazilian pink pepper

Indian jasmine sambac

Oak moss, patchouli, Indian patchouli

That’s it.

So WHY do we smell orris? Really fine, softest silvery orris, all buttery and silvery at once?

The drydown becomes a tenaciously discreet creamy, woody iris, but it’s not listed.

 

 

Bergamot and pink pepper are spirited, and open up the scented conversation; jasmine sambac is such a classic heart, generously warm and fully floral.

Some sites list the delicate plum note that I sniffed out gleefully- blossom, not fruit.

Oak moss and patchouli provide a lavish, deep base, steeped in intrigue.

The leather effect is likely the pairing of fine oak moss [if it’s a synth, it’s a lovely choice here] and various forms of patchouli; it feels like whispery suede.

There is nothing ham-fisted about BV– refined; streamlined sensuality is its maxim.

 

BV is all elegant comfort, the way Grace Kelly appeared in her later years.

Does that mean that it’s gained a few pounds and is frumpy? Loves its garden and paints flowers?

Mumsy?

Far from it.

This is a thoroughly contemporary fragrance which manages to bridge aesthetics with warmth.

It is a featherweight cashmere stole in muted but saturated hues- timeless, magnificent, versatile.

It can be worn with jeans or jodhpurs [if you’re of the horsey set], a svelte shantung sheath or a ballgown- think Givenchy or Balenciaga.

You can wear it if you’re in healthcare – or if you volunteer for tony charities.


Bottega Veneta is no snob, though- it’s good for everyone.

The edp goes for $95-$130, the shower gel is $40, body lotion is $50, the luxe body cream is more- $95.

The bad news: There’s PERFUME. And it’s only sold in the boutiques- in limited amounts-

And it’s $395.

In Murano glass.

Ah, me.


I have four carded samples to give away to four commenters. To be eligible leave a comment and tell us about your ‘friends  for life" or  your feelings on the brand Botegga Veneta- any way you view it 😉 Draw closes September 16, 2011.

Ida Meister, Senior Editor

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35 comments

  • No one is going to like the story I have about Botegga Veneta.
    I inherited a bag it was big and black and I had no taste for it at all. So, I gave it to the poor…thats right I never even checked the inside of the bag before I dontated it to the Salvation Army. I did’nt even find out what type of mistake I had made until like 5 years after I had done it. It came up in conversation why no one ever saw me use that “wonderful Veneta bag”…I wanted to cry in fact I belive that I did. But this was not to be the last time a mistake such as this would happen to me within that year. But that is a Chanel story for another day. :((( <—- thats me still crying about that mistake.
    As fo friends for life. I loe all of my friends I make friends for life I am monogamous that way. I am not in the market to have come and go friends. I like trust and understanding. I will take time and invest it in doing things to place myself in a position to make flighty friends.

  • Lovely review, Ida! I just got a sample so I don’t need to be in the draw. I am anxious to try it and had I not just sprayed myself thoroughly with Esprit d’Oscar I would try it right now.

    I kinda wish the prize was that handbag…. 😉

  • And here I was half expecting their fume bottle to be housed in a little interlaced leather half-sleeve/jacket of sorts. – Thereby also giving them the excuse to charge their usual over inflated prices for it. (Or at very least have a little weaved leather cap, no ?)
    No actual leather “intrecciato” anywhere on it ??? ~ Came as surprise, I must say !
    Though, I must admit to personally preferring just the discreet frosted glass “intrecciato” on the base, as it has. Rather than what I’d been expecting they might do. Though now I rather expect the Murano glass bottles will probably feature their signature weaving somewhere, probably in gold-leaf imbedded in the glass !?)
    All in all, I think the bottle is actually understated and quite classy. (If a little staid and a touch boring).
    As for Botegga Veneta I think they’re just unwarrantedly overpriced. (And a little staid and a touch boring !)

    Still, I’m most interested in trying their perfume, so please do enter me into the draw. – (Unless it’s too similar to “Daim Blond” which I for some reason just don’t get on with).

  • My first conscious contact with BC was a few days ago when I first heard about the perfume. Which I very much want to try now.
    But I hope I don’t get close to their boutique because I can’t imagine not walking out with at least a pair of shoes if the picture here is any indication. 🙂
    My friend for life is from my highschool and she is the only one I trust completely with my thoughts and feelings (although I hope I have found a virtual one too, through our mutual love for perfume).

  • Thank you for the read! Talking of my friends for life, I find this to be animals. They are so positive and determined that I learn something new from them every time. The best lesson I have learned from them is to master the skill you learn not only just learn it ” Try, try until you master”.

  • I will try this perfume in a store so I’ll leave more chances to those who live farther from where it can be tried for free. I just wanted to say it’s an interesting review. And also – I loved the cat & mouse picture.

  • Ida, love the review. I have recently found that i can wear very suble leather scents without getting sick (which normally happens w/leather scents with me) and the described oakmoss/patchouli base intrigues me. I would love a woven bag by BV but as this is beyond my budget maybe the scent will be mine, one day 🙂 As for friends for life: they are few – but i love them wholeheartedly.

  • I love the intrecciato pettern!
    And I love fine leather, whether used for comfortable and beautiful shoes or in perfume!

  • I own no designer bags, shoes or even a wallet 😉
    It’s backpacks and Ziplocks for me !

    I think so many chic items are laughably overpriced.

    Full disclosure :
    A 100 year old pair of Tiffany earrings from my grandmother
    A Tiffany bracelet from my GF engraved w/ my Hebrew name on the heart, and the date of my adult Bat Mitzvah 11 years ago.

    Amica per la pelle : my friend Marietje from Limburg , whom I met at age 14.
    She still lives in the Netherlands, and we’ve been together, hell and back.
    Marietje- I love you. always.

  • I was not familiar with this company until they decided to put out this fragrance. The bag and shoes you have pictured are gorgeous! I love everything about them…color, proportion, design. I am thinking the fragrance must be gorgeous also!

  • Wow! This review reminded me that I once owned a BV bag given to me as a teenager by a very wealthy woman who always gave me her hand-me-down shoes,bags and clothes. I believe I may have given the bag to my mum as the intricate leather design was not to my at that time unrefined taste! I hope she still has it! I would love to be entered in this draw!

  • I love the handcraft perfection of Bottega Veneta’s products and I’d like try this fragrance.
    About my old best friend, I’ve no dubt! He is Giuseppe from Treviso.

  • I love what I see of Bottega Veneta but of course I don’t own anything by them, nor have I visited any of their shops–I admire the beautiful luxuries from afar…….

    My 2 amici delle pelle have both moved to cities that are around 3 hour drives away, but we can still visit on rare occasions–we are growing up slowly but surely–able to trust each other with anything.One boy, one girl, we all met in high school book club.The first book we were all to read was Sleeping Beauty by A.N. Roquelaire aka Anne Rice, because we were going to start with a banned book…. The book club facilitator (one history teacher at our old school) apologized extravagantly for not investigating it before choosing one among titles we all listed off the tops of our heads…hhahaha…

  • I have heard good things about this perfume (except the price!) I would love to try it.
    I was thinking about my perfume “friends for life”. I am someone who tries everything I can, and I’m totally unloyal to my perfumes. But the ones I’ve used for the longest are EL’s Private Collection and Clinique Aromatics. I don’t use them that often anymore, but when I do I remember how they were my badge of courage back in the 80’s when I was a struggling career girl, with my linebacker shoulder pads and winged hair!

  • I’ve read some very good reviews of Bottega Veneta, and would love to try it.

    My “friends for life”? Why, books and music, of course!

  • I’m a big fan of Tomas Maeir. He’s done a fabulous job of getting BV back on track, good clean design. Plus I love any fashion house that doesn’t have a need to put its logo on every inch of product! I’d love to give this a try!

  • Just got a sample of Bottega Veneta, so no need to enter me in the draw. You are spot on in your description. It’s warm, elegant, with lots of iris, even if that’s not one of the listed notes. The jasmine heart is really lovely.

    What I have noticed over the years about my amiche per la pelle is that there is an immediate recognizable spark when I meet them. Even if I don’t see those friends again for years on end, when I do that spark is still there.

  • The woven leather is lovely and speaks of creation by hand, not machine. I’ve heard wonderful things about this perfume, and love the creations of its creator! I second Patty about the books, by the way.

  • So many people come and go in our lives, but friends for life are always close, even if you only see them once a year.

    The italian phrase for this is beautiful and works so well for a leather company.

  • Aimee L'Ondee says:

    My amici delle pelle were born out of experiencing grad school together. We live at the far corners of the U.S. now, with wildly divergent lives. A techie editor, a poet, and an executive. But they will always be dear to me. I’d love to be entered in the draw. Thanks!

  • I’ve never even heard of the brand until this fragrance came out. LOL The only luxury items in my life are cosmetics and fragrance. I can’t afford to even consider indulging in other areas as I indulge myself to much already in the beauty industry!

  • My best friend and I have been friends forevver, and always will be. We are so different in personality, she is outgoing and loud & funny, and I am more introverted, quieter although she says I am funny and make her laugh. What is so funny is that she prefers marine ozone , light florals and new designer scents , and I like orientals and most Chanels (I am experimenting with samples of others now). I would love to try this, as elegant comfort is definately my kind of wonderful. Please enter me in the draw…thank you.

  • I would love to try this! Very luxurious handbags, wish I owned one. Friends for life are those that, though you may not see them for months or even years, when you do, you fall right back into a comfortable and easy rapport. I am so lucky to have a few of those!

  • It’s interesting aging and seeing who turns out to be a friend “for life”. I have a few, but only my relationship with my best friend feels as natural and basic now as it did when we first met.

    I have some others, whom I consider to be like family. A group of friends from when I was in my early twenties and we all lived in a house together. With time and moving, we’ve all scattered to the four winds and I had a falling out with one of them, so things have definitely changed.

    We’re all parents and my two remaining friends are married and live out West.

    Some of my friends who I thought would be friends for life have already passed away, and that’s a very sad thing.

    Aging and friendship is a bittersweet song in my life, I’m learning by writing this. The ones that stand the test of time and keep you laughing and learning are incredible blessings and the ones that fall by the wayside have important lessons in them.

  • Shamsi. You have me thinking too
    My friend for life has got to be myself
    I have watched as 20 year relationships have drifted away or ended in a crash
    I think my husband Didier may turn out to be a friend for life
    Thomas Maier is the less flashy version of Tom Ford
    I love the idea that you wear your clothes and now perfume but they don’t wear you
    IMHO the bottle is perfect any fashionista knows woven leather is their signature so why go for what’s obvious
    Of course I would want the perfume
    But M Almeraic is an amazing nose for both niche and mainstream so I would bet this is a must sniff

  • Fell in love with Bottega Veneta intrecciato leather work the first time I saw one of those woven bags in a Vogue ad in the 70’s — luscious, elegant and not requiring their owners to provide free advertising. I can’t really afford a bag, but have been lucky enough to once find a great pair of flats in the intrecciato style by another maker.
    Even luckier to have a couple of friends for life: one for thirty years who is like me in so many ways that we are noted for spontaneously saying the same thing at exactly the same time (stereo!) and another for twenty years who is very unlike me, but still the person I most want to share a film or a perfume with.

  • I saw that a prominent blogger reviewed this, after I’d written mine ;0
    He feels my initial impression : that this scent echoes Armani Prive Cuir Amethyst .
    I completely agree- but the edp doesn’t cost as much 😉

  • While I don’t own any Bottega Veneta (or at least I don’t think I do) I love the pictures of the bag in shoes listed and will definately go check them out. I don’t really pay attention to brands but I do look for quality and craftsmanship, and there are a few (luxe) brands I am always drawn to because I know they are well made and suit my style.

    I have so many friends for life… some people come and go into your life at certain times. I have a lot of college friends who live all over the world. I don’t see them everyday, but when we connect, it’s like we were never apart.

  • “When your own initials are enough” has got to be my favorite company slogan…it’s how I’ve always felt about clothing, accessories, cars etc with conspicuous labels- why? If something is good, it’s good…if you like it, that’s reason enough to buy it- not to impress others…so I am intrigued by BV’s new fragrance and would love to try it…

  • Friends for life – Linda, Susan, Karen. No need to explain. I love you, girlfriends!!!

    Thank you for the draw – I’m anxious to try this one.

  • I would love to try this fragrance. I wish I could afford one of their beautiful leather bags. They look like they would last a lifetime.

  • Some perfumes are friends for skin and friends for life, they comfort the way real friends do.

    My husband is my friend for life, he is trying to make sure that my sensitive skin is not being bruised by encounters with life in its rude forms.

    I have not tried Bottega Veneta, but I got interested because of what I heard and because of this review. Thanks for the draw!

  • I’ve never owned anything by Bottega Veneta, but I like their shoes! As for the perfume, I’m intrigued — I’m a big fan of Rush, have worn it since college, and heard this is similar.

  • anne borgstrom says:

    I was strolling with my sister in Nordstrom’s last week and saw a perfectly proportioned bottle of perfume
    sitting on one of their glass shelves. It was Italian (so am I) and delicately detailed with a little leather strap tied beneath the cap – – so very appealing to me as a designer.

    I stopped and sprayed a bit on myself and left. As time went on, I found each phase as wonderful as the next.
    It has been years since a perfume has kept me enticed. It is delicious and alluring and feminine and uplifting and is on my Christmas list. If I don’t receive it as a gift, I will buy it for myself.

    I am 63 years old and have had friends from childhood and throughout my life who have shared my good times and buoyed me throughout the bad and utterly sad. Obviously, they can’t always be with me, so I seriously rely on my perfume to carry me throughout the day because, when things go sour, one sniff of the fragrance on my wrist will bring the dolce life back again.