What’s Happening: Providing hyper-exclusive offerings for loyal spenders continues to bear fruit for luxury fashion houses like Gucci, Chanel, and Dior. Next month, Bottega Veneta will open an appointment-only “cultural residence” in a Venetian palazzo that spotlights its handicraft traditions.

The Download: Over the past few years, luxury fashion houses have gone to great lengths to court what they deem “very important clients” (VICs). It’s not uncommon for loyal spenders to fuel up to 40 percent of a label’s sales, especially as wealthy shoppers continue to seek hyper-exclusive products and experiences post-pandemic. Kering, in particular, has led the charge on strengthening one-on-one relationships with valued clients through tailored offerings at the by-appointment-only Gucci Salons located above its boutiques in Beverly Hills and on Fifth Avenue, as well as Balenciaga’s newly opened couture store in Paris. Chanel has opened private boutiques for top clients in key Asian cities; Dior enlisted Dimore Studio for a lounge reserved for well-heeled VICs in Doha.

Now, Bottega Veneta is following suit. The Italian label is preparing to unveil a “creative and cultural residence” in Venice that offers VICs a more intimate look inside the Bottega Veneta universe. Located in Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel, a 15th-century gothic palace in La Serenissima’s secluded Cannaregio district, the soon-to-open Palazzo Bottega Veneta will feature interiors, artwork, and furnishings curated by creative director Matthieu Blazy. The services aren’t unlike those at Gucci Salons: private dressing consultations, red carpet fittings, early access to the brand’s upcoming jewelry, beauty, and fragrance collections, and curated itineraries aligned with cultural events like the Venice Film Festival and La Biennale.

What sets Palazzo Bottega Veneta apart, though, is a reverence for the label’s roots—and its name, which translates to “Venetian artisanal shop.” Nearly six decades after Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro launched the house as a workshop selling high-quality leather goods in Vicenza, that focus on handicraft perseveres. Around 1,800 artisans based in Italian ateliers still painstakingly craft coveted bags, wallets, ready-to-wear garments, and housewares using the label’s signature intrecciato motif. These roots informed the 2021 Bottega for Bottegas campaign, in which the label handed over its e-commerce ads and window displays to spotlight mom-and-pop studios producing artisan wares of all types. As an extension, some will be given residence at Palazzo Bottega Veneta to reach more deep-pocketed buyers.

In Their Own Words: “Bottega Veneta, unlike many other brands, is not linked to a single founder. It was born of the passion of a collective of people,” Leo Rongone, the label’s CEO, told the Financial Times. “This spirit of community is extremely important to us and goes beyond the brand. There’s a sense of encounter and exchange. What we wanted to do is give a physical space to the spirit.”

Surface Says: Even as the market evolves and labels get more creative about how to reach top consumers, it’s refreshing to see Bottega Veneta isn’t losing sight of its roots.

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As a child, Jeffery Sun Young Park recalls watching news broadcasts of families reunited following the Korean War. The Los Angeles ceramicist (and licensed marriage and family therapist) now channels the poignance of these memories into making raku-fired dokkaebi figures, which represent mischievous nature spirits from Korean folklore as well as ceramic masks and bells imbued with a celebratory spirit. In a new show at Stroll Garden, he creates a sanctuary where the dokkaebi reflect human spirits and intentions, encouraging us to move beyond societal expectations in pursuit of self-discovery and acceptance.

When: Until July 13

Where: Galerie Poggi, Paris

What: Seffa Klein’s ancestors need no introduction: Yves Klein, Rotraut, Marie Raymond, and Günther Uecker are all in her genealogy. In first European solo show, the rising Franco-American painter of transcendent abstractions puts around twenty of her cerebral canvases in dialogue with rare and remarkable works by members of her family, all of whom demonstrate an attraction to the cosmos.

Last week, the Kitchen took to Midtown to honor Lynn Hershman Leeson, Bernard I. Lumpkin, Carmine D. Boccuzzi and, posthumously, Max Roach. An all-star roster of speakers introduced each honoree while guests sipped cocktails from Saint Heron glassware, designed by Solange and produced by glassblower Jason McDonald. Over the course of the night, guests were treated to performances by interdisciplinary artist Justin Allen and musician Eartheater. The evening culminated in a remembrance of Max Roach, orated by hip hop pioneer and Kitchen artist Fab 5 Freddy.

When was it? May 22

Where was it? Guastavino’s, New York

Who was there? Anicka Yi, Antwaun Sargent, Hannah Traore, Jordan Huelskamp, Legacy Russell, Miles Greenberg, Nicola Vassell, Stuart Comer, Ruby Lerner, and more.

Holly Hunt offers exquisite and highly customizable pieces for residential and commercial properties. Founded in 1983 by Holly Hunt, the Chicago-based brand pioneered a new style of luxury interiors with an elegant, streamlined aesthetic and timeless color palette, drawing both residential and commercial design trade seeking distinctive and custom pieces.

Surface Says: Holly Hunt’s discerning selection streamlines the process of outfitting interiors with modern, designer pieces from ceiling to floor.

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