Last week luxury Italian brand Tod’s launched the first of what will be a series of capsule collections coming out periodically throughout the year—supplementing the time in between their four main collections with fresh bursts of creativity. The program, called “Tod’s Factory,” is a nod to Warhol’s iconic Factory and the unexpected collaborations born there. In addition to designers, the brand will also bring on photographers, filmmakers, and creatives that work across mediums to design their own pieces.
For this inaugural capsule, Tod’s has tapped Alessandro Dell’Acqua—the current designer of No. 21 and Rochas—to create seven ready-to-wear and nine footwear pieces. “I have worked on an ideal wardrobe concept, reinventing Tod’s iconic pieces, and at the same time trying to maintain a balance between my world and Tod’s great Italian excellence,” explains Dell’Acqua.
The collection includes exquisite leather pieces like a chic black tunic dress, and pink belted trench. The highlight, however, is Dell’Acqua’s take on the Gommino loafer—Tod’s most iconic creation. In its new iteration, he combines its most prominent codes—the pebbled, rubber outsole and penny bar—and reimagines it as a pointy kitten heel and stretch ankle boot in new fabrics like patent and velvet. Sporty, elevated and inimitably Tod’s, these new shoes retain the comfort of a walking shoe with the design of something that’s evening-appropriate. “‘Casual luxury’ is the common denominator,” he says.
The freedom offered to collaborators in this series creates a kind of lingua franca between artists with a singular point of view and Tod’s uncompromising approach to Italian luxury. Here, Dell’Acqua combines his distinctive pale pink and black with Tod’s beige hues, to form a palette that perfectly showcases both aesthetics. While Tod’s is keeping their roster of collaborators under wraps at the moment if what’s to follow is anything like this you’d be wise to make some more room on your shoe shelf starting now.
