Cabat Owners (and Future Owners) United

[foxie-pooh]

I know by now people are probably bored and tired of me talking about the cabat but I just love it so much This thread is for people to share their cabat stories and how they care and store their cabats...I'm not sure how to store it as it's so soft and formless...do you keep it the box or just let it flop in its sleeper? Also should I take the protective film off the plate? I don't want to scratch it up but at the same time I don't want the glue to adhere to the plate...I know hermes suggests people to peel off the film on the birkins but I wonder if the same thing applies to the cabat? I haven't had the chance to debut my cabat yet but I'll sure to update when it happens

[mundodabolsa]

I took the protective film off right away because I don't really care about scratches and stuff.

I usually just stuff the cabat and let it flop in its dust bag. I also had it hanging off the post in my bed for a few weeks but recently convinced myself that was stretching out the handles so I moved it.

p.s. if we got bored of hearing about cabats, we wouldn't be on the purse forum.

[mundodabolsa]

I saw this pic today and didn't know where to post it since it's neither a celebrity nor an action shot of one of us.

so this thread seems appropriate. enjoy the glimpse of a cabat.

bill cunningham/nytimes

[jburgh]

I am a wannabe Cabat owner, but I would read this thread no matter what the reason. Celebrate all things Bottega Veneta!

foxie - You might try stuffing your Cabat with those little nitrogen filled pillows that are used as packaging materials. So many companies are using them these days, I've been collecting them for stuffing my sleeping bags.

[foxie-pooh]

So chic! Love her look...and Hilary looks so cute peeking from behind :lol:

[Sum]

am not a cabat owner (yet) but i love it anyway. so keep the stories and picts coming

does the cabat come in a box? my BV bags and belts only came in sleeper bags.

[PorscheGirl]

I've bought my cabats at BV stores and took them home, so no shipping, and did not get boxes. I keep them in the sleeper bags. But they really are very hardy. Don't need to baby them, just use common sense.
I've taken the plastic off the plate of two, left it on the third. But it peels away after a while, so probably just leave it on till it peels off itself.

They really are the most amazing bags I've ever seen. I'm hoping just to collect cabats from now on, except for wanting a "knot" at some point.

[mundodabolsa]

^mine didn't come in a box.

funny story about the box it did come in though... the day it was supposed to arrive I was antsy for the UPS man to show up, so when he buzzed the intercom downstairs and I let him into my office building of course I jumped out of my seat and met him on the stairs.

I don't remember the exact exchange of words but I remember saying something like "the package today is for me right?" and he responded something like, "yeah, someone has sent you a big empty box" (because the cabat is so light). and I remember thinking in my head, damm, if only the UPS man knew the "empty box" was worth 5k.

[mundodabolsa]

Originally Posted by PorscheGirl

They really are the most amazing bags I've ever seen. I'm hoping just to collect cabats from now on, except for wanting a "knot" at some point.

sounds like a perfect plan to me I want a knot next as well.


p.s. what do you have in your cabat collection? I feel like i've heard you mention several but I'm not 100% sure which ones.

[PorscheGirl]

Originally Posted by mundodabolsa

sounds like a perfect plan to me I want a knot next as well. p.s. what do you have in your cabat collection? I feel like i've heard you mention several but I'm not 100% sure which ones.

I have a large noce, medium nero, and medium ottone.
And I love them all!
I use the large noce as my carry-on when I travel, and it barely shows any wear at all, although it's from the first season cabats were made!

[mundodabolsa]

^sounds like a perfectly balanced collection!

when was the first season cabats were made?

and also, you mentioned in another thread having them refurbished. what was wrong with them, just regular wear and tear?

[Bunkie]

I love my cabat too.

One thing I would warn new cabat owners, foxie, is, watch out for the bottom corners. Because they are so square ,they start to slightly wear. My corners are lighter on my ebano than the rest of the bag due to wear... not sure what to do about that. Anyone else experience this?

[foxie-pooh]

I got a nice brown, ebano?, box with gold Bottega Veneta lettering, those waxy ribbon, and silver tissue paper along with the cabat...though it was overnighted to me with no charge! The box is on the small side though...don't really know how to squeeze it back after I took the bag out...lol...thanks for the suggestions everyone

[PorscheGirl]

Originally Posted by mundodabolsa

^sounds like a perfectly balanced collection! when was the first season cabats were made? and also, you mentioned in another thread having them refurbished. what was wrong with them, just regular wear and tear?

I think the first year was 2003. I got that by thinking about when I was in Maui, where I bought the first cabat. If anyone has any other info, please tell.

I bought the nero a year or so later.

I had the noce and nero refurbished just to freshen them up and moisturize the leather. They had no noticeable problem areas.

[foxie-pooh]

I believe Tomas had said that the cabat is the first bag he designed once he started working for Bottega and since he got the job in 2001...I assume the cabat first came out in 2001/2002?

Found the article

Quote:

Weaving a lot to be desired Last Updated: 12:01am BST /09/2003 "This," says Tomas Maier, the creative director of Bottega Veneta, brandishing a big, chocolate leather bag, "is like a pair of sunglasses, a sports car or a dishwasher. It's engineered, functional, aesthetically pleasing, beautiful inside and out - and it works. "It's my favourite bag, my dream bag, my old friend. It goes everywhere with me," he enthuses. "It's a pity it can't earn air miles, because it has flown many thousands in the past two years." In June 2001, Maier joined the Italian luxury leather goods company, which is now part of the Gucci Group, and presented his first collection for spring/summer 2002. "I travel back and forth between America and Europe once or twice a month. I just put a few clothes, a book and toiletries in the bag, fold my down jacket on top and then push it into the overhead locker. I use it as a pillow, too. And the best thing is that the older it gets - the more beaten up and run-down - the better it looks, just like an old velvet couch." The bag in question is the Cabat - which, appropriately, translates as "work sack". The large, rectangular tote looks as simple as a woven basket. And that, in essence, is its secret. It is handmade from 70 fettuccine-thin strips of leather, which are intricately woven through tiny slots. This creates a plaited effect, inside and out, which doubles the bag's strength. The technique was invented by Bottega Veneta in the Sixties, when the company was established in Vicenza. Bottega means "a place of work for artisans" and Veneta refers to the Veneto region of eastern Italy, where they are based. A bag such as the Cabat is, of course, both expensive (£2,495) and difficult to get hold of. The intensive labour that is involved in making each bag - two days' handiwork by two people - restricts production to a maximum of 200 of each style, each season, for worldwide distribution. Tomas Maier (top) and work in processThe Cabat is an unusual designer bag in another respect. It bears no logos, no initials, no bold brass or silver buckles and is devoid of a house check or stripe. Apart from the distinctive plaits, there is nothing that identifies it as being made by Bottega Veneta. This may seem perverse in the pricey world of luxury goods, where it is easy to spot a Gucci, Chanel, Prada or Fendi bag at a hundred paces, but the Cabat is a prime example of "stealth wealth". "Our customers have a true understanding of quality," says Maier. "They don't need a big logo or a shiny buckle to tell the world what they can afford to buy." Indeed, one of Bottega Veneta's credos translates as: "When your own initials are enough". This is a reference, perhaps, to their bespoke service, which includes handstitching, in leather, your initials inside the bag. As Maier explains, "We design for women who are very secure". The Cabat is just one of a clutch of Bottega Veneta's handmade bags. Other designs are even more exclusive. Each season, only 50 Bandolero bags, which are each hand-stitched with more than 150 pheasant feathers and cost £1,370, are made. And production of the Rosalina, an evening bag made from 250 hand-stitched rosebuds and tassels, is restricted to 50 pieces, which perhaps justifies its price tag of £1,420. It is the distinctive plaiting, called doppio intrecciato, that is most associated with the label, and has attracted such fans as Jennifer Lopez, Claudia Schiffer, Madonna and Kylie Minogue. This trademark is recalled all around the company's Milan showroom - in the decor and the clothes. The cushions are made of the same slipper-soft, interwoven leather. It is echoed in the elbow patches on a sweater, and in the subtle decoration on a pair of white moccasins. "This is our heritage," says Maier. "It is very expensive to make, so we have to keep it special. It's not about weird design. It's about making something that is light, soft, beautiful and durable." He remembers his mother's Bottega Veneta bags from the Seventies: "They were woven, kind of hippy and slouchy, but they worked and they are still around. You just can't kill them."