What does 45 years of top-notch Italian craftsmanship smell like? We're about to find out.

It was announced today that the leather goods gurus at Bottega Veneta have inked a deal to create a debut fragrance with Coty Inc. -- manufacturers of celebrity scents for Gwen Stefani and Sarah Jessica Parker and perfumes by Balenciaga, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs.

"The opportunity to create the first Bottega Veneta fragrance is an exciting challenge," Tomas Maier, Bottega's creative director, said in a statement. "I've always loved fragrance and have very definite ideas about what I want to do."

Mmmm... there are already images of woven-calfskin perfume bottles and rich leather top notes dancing in our heads!

Naturally, the forces at Coty are also similarly psyched.

"Bottega Veneta is one of the most refined and respected Italian luxury houses. They have a unique culture of exclusivity and a constant drive for innovation," said Michele Scannavini, president of Coty Prestige, in a statement.

"Fragrance is a new opportunity for this successful company and we are looking forward to working with them to capture their incomparable style in an olfactive identity," she added.

We wonder if that "identity" will also include ads featuring celeb fans Rosario Dawson, Paula Patton and Ginnifer Goodwin in Bottega's dreamy silk dresses and trenches -- we'll just have to wait and see.

Coty executives told WWD that BV's first women's perfume won't be released until 2011.