The Tod’s spring ’17 presentation in Milan opened to an archival work table where Diego and Andrea Della Valle’s grandfather worked on the label’s first designs. Flash forward to now, and the brand is trying to reinvent itself from a heritage brand to a fashion brand, and it plans on doing so by amping up its trend-focused footwear styles.
Cue the artisanal sneakers. This season, the brand debuted a number of new sporty styles. Low-top court sneakers, either laced or with Velcro, were given a painted dip-dye effect in black and white. Leather runners had thick soles with a single Velcro strap across the vamp. One court style had a jute midsole, which blended into its tanned orange upper.
Of course, there were updates to its signature driving moccasins and penny loafers, too. The color palette this season was on the saturated side. Suedes were done in yellow, red, orange. A Gommino clasp style was done in a foliage-printed leather. These may not seem a big risk, but for the classic customer who still shops the brand, it’s a small step into the daring.
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Compared to previous seasons, there was overall more of a sense of modernity this season and more attempts to create unique finishes. Yet so many high-end brands are now trying to catch the millennial set — Bally, Church’s Brunello Cucinelli — and Tod’s did it conservatively here. There was room for more experimentation. And some new silhouettes, not just for sneakers but for its core dress styles, too, would be extremely beneficial.
Click through the gallery to see more from the collection.
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