If we had to summarize this edition of Milan Fashion Week with one word, it would be expectation. The industry is closely observing the Italian fashion capital these days to witness the first steps of creatives such as Sabato De Sarno or Peter Hawkings at Gucci and Tom Ford, respectively, but also the latest of Walter Chiapponi at Tod’s.
The couturier at the head of the women’s and men’s lines of the Italian luxury brand since 2019, held his last show for the brand this Friday and it was a declaration of love for Milanese craftsmanship and the history of Tod’s.
The designer has chosen a seductive enclave where the art of handcrafting could be breathed in every corner. It is an enclosure that is used to create and design the decorative elements that will later appear on stage at La Scala.
Several marble sculptures are interspersed with wooden structures with gold details and red velvet finishes, as well as tables where several artisans made the famous Gommino, the brand’s signature footwear, live. Avoiding this apparent chaos, the first designs for Tod’s next spring have appeared little by little.
The contemporary Italian style proposed by Chiapponi is made up of marked and polished silhouettes. Leather is, as always, the star fabric in fitted shirts and coats, but also knitwear, which fits the figure in highly polished dresses with no shoulders and sleeves.
The pleated skirts stand out in all their versions as well as the fluid suits and shirt dresses. The Milanese tailoring that Tod’s preaches is delicate and versatile, adapted to the modern woman.
Fluorescent details have returned to the Milanese catwalk. Prada demonstrated this on Wednesday with full-color mules and sandals to accompany more neutral outfits and today Tod’s confirms it again by adding lime green to footwear, shirts and dresses.
Accessories take on an unprecedented role on the Tod’s catwalk. The corseted belts widen and fill with pockets in a revision of the fanny pack or a multipurpose belt in a sophisticated key and the iconic and essential bag of the Italian brand, the Di Bag, is shown off as a handbag.
