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The promise of a new look at a historic fashion house always sparks excitement within fashion revellers. An appointed creative director with a fresh approach usually means the label is ripe for a renaissance, one that might even entice the valuable attention of new-gen shoppers. At Tod’s, Matteo Tamburini is the cool kid assigned to rejuvenate the much-loved Italian leather-wear brand, and yesterday he delivered his first collection.
Set within the historic Darsena tram station, it created a romantic vista that Tamburini explained represented the energy of the city of Milan. His presentation saw models walk along the contouring track lines in front of the city’s exquisite vintage trams, all accented by that unmistakable proletarian shade of ‘stazione giallo’. And, right from the start, the collection delivered a sincerity of sophistication with just enough street impact to create fresh chatter.
Most notable perhaps was the iconic Tod’s Gommino loafer, with its longterm subscription to style and comfort, being revved up by wild leather fringing. Trench coats, shirts and trousers, too got a seasonal update with wide, exaggerated cuts and oversized, elongated hemlines. Leathers by way of apparel and accessories remained core to the collection, but their subversive take on classicism meant an introduction to asymmetric silhouettes and some significantly more casual totes, carry-all’s, mules and boots.
But Tamburini delivered this urbanisation with subtlety and tact. Coats and blazers, while more angular or shapely remained a Tod’s mainstay. The pea coats in double-faced wool and with august stature (particularly when worn with those fabulous black riding boots) made for a timeless yet modernised silhouette. Layered cashmere, some worn open as chunky cardis, some as more demure wrapped ensembles with low-slung buckled belts contrasted against leather outfits of boxy blouson with equally standout-ish matching pants.
And this was the intention. Tamburini was inspired by the dichotomies of formal versus informal, of urban life versus leisure life and of tradition versus innovation. Forming a bridge between them makes for a perfect trajectory, one that pleases the die-hards while encouraging a sartorial newness. Tod’s labeled it as “deconstructed luxury”, which fits nicely with our time’s intrigue with how luxury can be manipulated. Here, however, it makes perfect sense. Tod’s has long been a house of quiet luxury, an uptown Maison known for the classic flap handbag, the gold buckled loafer, so taking the look on a trip downtown (on a very chic tram, no less) is cause for applause.
