Bottega Veneta Arco Small

A bag named for an arch

Bottega Veneta was founded in Vicenza in 1966 by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro and built its name on intrecciato, strips of leather woven through slits in another piece of leather. Under Tomas Maier, creative director from 2001 to 2018, the weave was small and discreet.

Daniel Lee, appointed in June 2018, enlarged it. For pre-fall 2019 he introduced an exaggerated maxi weave on giant bags, totes and a flap bag, and the Arco was among the first designs of his tenure. It takes its name from the Arco della Pace, the monumental arch in Milan that served as the backdrop for his first runway show for the house. Accounts place the Arco's debut in either the Pre-Fall 2019 or the Fall/Winter 2019 collection.

The original Arco was a top-handle bag with a slightly winged shape, a dome-shaped flap, two open pockets and a zippered compartment inside, made in what one launch report called a deconstructed, modern-looking weave, and also offered in plain leather. The tote that this entry describes came later: a more rectangular version with an open top.

From Lee to Trotter

Lee, born in Bradford, England, in 1986 and trained at Central Saint Martins, came to Bottega Veneta from Celine. His first seasons produced the Pouch, the padded Cassette and the Arco, and in 2019 he won four Fashion Awards in London, including Designer of the Year and Accessories Designer of the Year, while the house was named Brand of the Year.

Lee left in November 2021. Matthieu Blazy succeeded him and led the house until December 2024, when Louise Trotter took over. A U.S. department store's October 2026 listing describes the house as led by Trotter while still selling the Small Arco.

How to recognize a Small Arco

The Small Arco is a structured tote in maxi intrecciato nappa with two leather handles and an open top secured by a leather tie. It comes with a removable zip pouch inside. A current listing gives its size as 11.75 inches wide, 7.75 inches high and 4.5 inches deep, with a 6-inch handle drop, and states that it is made in Italy.

Pre-owned listings measure the Small Arco at 11.75 to 12 inches across the base, 7.75 to 8 inches high and 4.5 to 4.75 inches wide. The Navy example behind this entry is described as navy lambskin in a maxi weave with leather top handles, a matching calfskin interior and a removable pouch.

The family runs from a mini and small up to a medium tote and beyond. One owner measured her medium Arco tote at 36.8 cm wide, 24.1 cm high and 12 cm deep, in nappa with an oversized weave, rolled handles and a knot closure.

Prices then and now

When the original flap-front Arco went on pre-order in April 2019, its four sizes, named Arco 33, 48, 56 and 75, ran from $2,490 to $4,900; the Arco 33 was $2,490, the Arco 48 $2,900 and the Arco 56 $4,900. Those were different bags from today's Small Arco tote.

In October 2026 a U.S. department store listed the Small Arco at $3,900. The navy example this entry is based on, and several other pre-owned Small Arcos, had already sold on the U.S. resale market by then.

A quiet survivor of the Lee years

The Pouch and the Cassette were the headline bags of Lee's Bottega Veneta. The Arco was the practical one, and that may be why it lasted: Hailey Bieber and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley have been seen with it, and it remains in stores under a third creative director.

It also carries a piece of the house's recent history in its name, a reminder of the Milan arch where Lee's reboot of Bottega Veneta was first shown on a runway.

The numbers

Dimensions (retail listing)

11.75 x 7.75 x 4.5 in (W x H x D); 6 in handle drop

Material

Nappa lambskin in maxi intrecciato; calfskin interior

Closure

Open top with leather tie

Included

Removable zip pouch

Made in

Italy

Production quantity

Not published

Timeline

1. 1966

   Bottega Veneta is founded in Vicenza.

2. 2001

   Gucci acquires Bottega Veneta; Tomas Maier becomes creative director.

3. Jun 2018

   Daniel Lee is appointed creative director.

4. 2019

   Lee shows his first runway collection with the Arco della Pace as backdrop; the Arco is named for it.

5. Apr 8, 2019

   The Arco 56, 48 and 33 go on pre-order, priced from $2,490 to $4,900.

6. 2019

   Lee wins four Fashion Awards in London.

7. Nov 2021

   Lee leaves; Matthieu Blazy becomes creative director.

8. Dec 2024

   Blazy leaves for Chanel; Louise Trotter takes over.

9. Oct 2026

   The Small Arco tote is listed at $3,900 at a U.S. department store.

The world in 2013

• Mar 2013

  PPR, Bottega Veneta's parent, renames itself Kering.

• 2019

  Bottega Veneta's Pouch is named the most wanted fashion product of the year by a global shopping index.

• 2019

  Kering's revenue rises to EUR 15.88 billion.

• 2021

  Bottega Veneta shuts down its social media accounts.

• 2024

  Bottega Veneta reports EUR 1.713 billion in revenue.

• Oct 2025

  Kering sells its beauty division, including Creed, in a deal valuing it at about $4 billion.

Price record

This is an asking price, not a sale. It is what a seller wanted on the date shown. Asking prices often sit above what buyers pay, but an ask is not a ceiling: a sale can land on either side of it. It is not a value.

By reference price, Bottega Veneta Arco Small is number 46 of 100 in the handbags entries of the FLOAT 100. 19 of those 100 rest on a realized sale; the rest carry an asking price or a guide value, and each page says which. Rank within the FLOAT 100 itself (63 here) is editorial: how much an object defines its field, not price alone.

Did you know

• The Arco is named after Milan's Arco della Pace, the backdrop of Daniel Lee's first Bottega Veneta show.
• The first Arcos were named by size number: 33, 48, 56 and 75.
• The original Arco was a winged flap bag; the tote came later.
• The Small Arco ships with a removable zip pouch inside.