Diego Della Valle reveals new concept, Tod’s Factory, with Alessandro Dell’Acqua

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Sep 25, 2018

Tod’s CEO Diego Della Valle unveiled a new chapter in his giant Italian footwear and luxury empire, Tod’s Factory, a series of “dialogues with designers,” and the first conversation will be with Alessandro Dell’Acqua.
 
This November, the house will start retailing a debut capsule collection, called Alessandro Dell’Acqua x Tod’s, of some 10 items of clothing and about a half dozen pieces of footwear.

 
“I wanted to do something iconic from Tod’s but with a little more of my southern sensuality,” explained the Neapolitan Dell’Acqua, at a breakfast conference inside the  Ritz in Paris.
 
The collection is a significant break for Tod’s, and will usher in a round of collaborations with a variety of designers.

“I’ve the next three creators already lined up! And, you’ll see it will be an interesting and unexpected mix,” smiled Della Valle, whose empire includes Tod’s, Hogan, Fay, couture house Schiaparelli, shoemaker Roger Vivier and the Fiorentina football club.
 
“I like the idea of opening up Tod’s to many more talents. It’s the start of a new era for our brand,” insisted Della Valle, whose business is based in Le Marche on the other side of Italy on the Adriatic coast.
 
“It was great to work with Diego and Tod’s. They have a really huge factory, but in the end, I was creating with skilled artisans who love making hand-made products,” said the designer.
 
The plan is to retail the collection in close to 100 stores, principally flagships, in the network of 300 sales points where Tod’s retails.
 
Sitting between the billionaire and the designer was Edie Campbell, the posh and lithe UK model, who stars in the project’s ad campaign.

It features modest high-heel versions of the house’s signature gommino moccasin; flat heeled ballerinas with small velvet bows and even a stretch ankle boots. The clothes are all essentially made of vachetta, or young cowhide, like sleek trenches or strict jerkins, made in just three colors; tan, black and Dell’Acqua’s classic powder pink.

In a busy month, Tod’s also opened up a significant flagship in London called Sloane Apartment, a new boutique concept by architect India Mahdavi in Kensington. A high-impact color scheme with brass, velvet, Italian marble flooring and even a bar for a proper expresso. And, another collab’, since Mahdavi created a limited edition of the Tod’s Gommino Bag.