Tod’s creative team opened the spring show with a look that epitomized the brand’s core leather tradition — a black biker jacket over cream Bermudas and sensible round-toe loafers. Leather was treated throughout, tie-dyed in a pretty black-and-white coat, for example, or cut into a cascade of eyelets and perforated into a floral pattern on the front of a yellow dress.
Pleats in contrasting colors and materials added movement to long skirts. Blouson jackets were sharply structured and overcoats came in anaconda or rubberized leather flanked by trenches in a zebra print. The color palette juxtaposed natural hues with graphic black and white, softened by muted pastels or accented by pops of bright colors such as acid yellow or turquoise.
Women are increasingly looking for comfort and Tod’s delivered that with a selection of ballerinas with elongated tips and kitten-heeled sling-backs and slip-ons. The bags were generally smaller and structured, alternated with accordion styles, but there were also roomier and softer models worn across the body.
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This season, Tod’s tweaked its logo with an archival T letter on fastenings of handbags, on shoes and buckles.
The brand’s show notes pointed to Michelangelo Antonioni’s films such as “L’Avventura,” “L’Eclisse” and “Red Desert” and Monica Vitti’s timeless femininity as inspirations for the collection. While timelessness is certainly a positive attribute and the looks were finely executed, the lineup lacked some freshness and direction. Tod’s chairman and chief executive officer Diego Della Valle has for some seasons opted for a design team to be in charge of the women’s collections. Rumors are circulating in Milan about a potential change of heart and strategy. Hear, hear.