Walter Chiapponi finds solace in nature, which always helps him take a breather and restart. “As never before, it offers hope and freedom,” said Tod’s creative director, in the glass pavilion in the garden of Milan’s beautiful Villa Necchi Campiglio.
Once again, Chiapponi turned to the Tuscan countryside for inspiration, adding that the spring collection was “a very personal” one, telegraphing “what I like.”
This meant a palette of natural colors and textured fabrics reminiscent of the Tuscan hills scorched by the sun. The designer stayed away from body-hugging or sensuous silhouettes, favoring boxy shapes, seen in a field jacket for long walks at dusk.
Chiapponi always puts a lot of effort into researching the materials for his collections and this season was no different. Cue an anorak or a parka with yellow and blue striped leather inlays, a raincoat in rubberized cotton or an ochre short-sleeved silk shirt featuring a print with a marine pattern that he found “reminiscent of Atlantis.”
Knits were more prominent, but offered in tune with the season, in light cotton, contributing to the easy and leisurely mood of the collection.
The designer knows that customization is key for a luxury brand and he offered a male version of the Di Bag as a large weekend tote. This was part of the expansive selection of accessories presented, in a nod to Tod’s core business.
The Gommino Bubble was displayed in a softer and more prominently shaped evolution of the brand’s signature pebble-sole, which is now maximized, and the pump was revisited with a metal T Timeless buckle.
The new Double Stripe shoe was a new take on hand-crafted rope shoes, its multilayered sole featuring a two-toned combination of rubber and leather edges.
