Italians do it better

The popular expression used to reinforce the Italian way of living could also be described as the starting point for Walter Chiapponi’s debut as the creative director of Tod’s. Priyanka Khanna finds out more from the designer

- Priyanka Khanna

“I always take inspiration from people on the street,” says Walter Chiapponi, Tod’s new creative director. This February, barely days before Italy went into complete lockdown and the rest of the world followed, Chiapponi, a veteran of Bottega Veneta under Tomas Maier, debuted a collection that was applauded for its sophisticated sensuality while respecting the house’s codes.

“I have always loved the culture of Italian buongusto (good taste), especially for menswear. I love to see how Italian men really care about little details, such as a haircut or a perfectly brushed shoe. [Even with womenswear] the inspiration was the very idea of good taste, intended not as a rule or a limitation but as a way of life.”

Not much is known about the Milan-based Chiapponi, but here’s what I discover: his day starts with walking his two dogs; if not a designer, he would have been a sculptor; his favourite artist is Francis Bacon; cinema is his big passion, with a penchant for “Italian neorealism, from Luchino Visconti to Michelangelo Antonioni, as well as Federico Fellini,” but his favourite is Teorema (1968) by Pier Paolo Pasolini; his book of choice is À La Recherche Du Temps Perdu by Marcel Proust, and he’s obsessed with Steve McQueen. Here’s more:

Tod’s has always been synonymous with the ease and style that characterises the Italian way, attributes which at this moment in time are paramount. What was the starting point for this collection?