There are few bags in my collection that bring me such tremendous pride and joy as my two Special Order Bottega Veneta Stretch Knot Clutches. We started PurseBlog and PurseForum 15 years ago, and in that time I have chatted with members of our forum through so many of my major life journeys, from my college graduation to our engagement to our marriage and now both of our kids. I’ve spent so much time chatting with the members of the forum and having that community has been such a major part of my life.
These two bags came from a small group of PurseForum members on the Bottega Veneta subforum that came together to create these bags. The first one we worked on in 2009, choosing every aspect of the bag – including color, leather, hardware, and lining. We had to wait for Milan’s approval, and after many back and forths we got the final sign off from Tomas Maier that this clutch was a go. The final product was this stunner: Nero Intrecciato Karung Stretch Knot Clutch. The Knot Clutch is a widely popular evening bag, and the stretch knot offers the right amount of extra space to make it work a bit better than the original size.
A few years later in 2013, we had another opportunity as a group to create a bag, and this is what we came up with the second time around: Plum Ostrich Stretch Knot. The first go around was so exciting for me to be a part of and when I heard the ladies of the Bottega Veneta subforum saying they wanted to get together for another custom order, I knew I could not pass it up! I find plum to be such a great color that works with everything and offers a much nicer touch than expected black.
These bags are both impeccably made, and 11 and 7 years later, they have held up incredibly well. The interior has a special plaque denoting that these are special orders. I can’t say I carry either of these often, but these bags are two of the most special in my collection that I will cherish for all of my life.
There are so many aspects of this job that I love, but one of the biggest has been the community we’ve built on the PurseForum. To have a group of people come together who share my same passion is really special. We’ve had meetups around the world, life long friends have been made, so many laughs have been shared, and we’ve been part of handbag history creating these two special order bags. Right now community is more important than ever, and I’m so glad to have our forums! If you aren’t a member, we’d love to have you join. With the changes at Bottega Veneta under Daniel Lee, the Knot Clutch is no longer being sold on its website. However, Saks has a good assortment including a really pretty Stretch Knot you can discover here.
