Why Fashion’s Leading Houses Are Building Craft Schools

Big-name brands are investing in high-level academies and educational programs dedicated to training the next generation of specialists – and preserving a legacy of craftsmanship in the process.

It can take a few days, involving a technically complex process and that elusive virtue of patience, for a Bottega Veneta tote to be handwoven in the house’s signature intrecciato style. At Accademia Labor et Ingenium, Bottega Veneta’s academy of craft and creativity near Vicenza (Veneto), students are trained in these leathercraft processes by master artisans with decades of expertise.

Established in 2023, the academy’s workshops and courses offer both classroom and pra...