The Democratic Dresser

Disregarding rules or limitations, Tod’s FW’20 collection is built upon the brand’s bedrock of artisanal craftsmanship and leatherwork, but leaves the rest open-ended

- Andrea Sim

This Italian brand is one that has its feet firmly planted in the craft of shoemaking. Like many other heritage counterparts, the house had humble beginnings with its founder, Filippo Della Valle, first making shoes out of a basement in the 1920s. Fast forward to the ‘70s, and Filippo’s grandson and current chairman of the brand and other labels under the Tod’s umbrella, Diego Della Valle, expanded its horizons off the pebbled soles of the now iconic Gommino shoe. It staked its claim in accessories and leatherwork, particularly with the launch of the D Bag in 1996 — an elegant, tan leather tote with spare lines and an understated logo, often carried by Princess Diana.

Tod’s ready-to-wear has less of a storied history than its shoes and bags. It took to the Milanese runways less than a decade ago, offering up a polished wardrobe for women, a wardrobe designed to traverse work and play that was distinct in its knack for turning leather pieces into an everyday affair. It isn’t too different today; the brand still prizes the needs and wants of women above all. But what do women want today?

What they don’t want, is to be told what they can or can’t wear, and what is deemed to be beautiful, sexy, or ideal, for that matter. Such rules aren’t suitable for the new decade that 2020 has kicked off, and that memo hasn’t been lost on Tod’s where FW’20 serves as the brand’s visual manifestation of the belief that “good taste” isn’t a “rule or limitation”, but a “way of life”.