Here is what some big brand directors, fashion group owners or CEO’s should look at as a case study: The tenure of Walter Chiapponi at Tod’s. It lasted only four years but this is the time it took to make the sleeping Made in Italy brand which is based on shoes and leather into a hot ready-to-wear and accessories house with a very modern touch and a clear silhouette. As fashion designer positions become more and more hot seats and the contract length seems to get shorter and shorter while results are expected immediately, Tod’s proves that it takes a few years of patience to undergo a turnaround. After all products need to be updated, campaigns redone, show venues elevated, boutiques renovated and so on. In general, it will take between 12-18 months for a new designer to have real impact. Owner Diego Della Valle had that patience and now he has a jewel of a brand, which stands for more than the famous driving shoe. Chiapponi is one of the hottest resumes in the industry out there now to be taking a new role. His designs improved the sales dramatically and with his last show in Milan’s La Scala workshop he proved that he is an astute designer who combines an easy sportswear line up with smart tailoring, endless ideas for shoes and bags and classy evening wear.
Tod’s S/S 2024 show venue
Classy evening wear
Smart tailoring
How did he do it?
Chiapponi went very severe at Tod’s and established serious and voluminous outerwear based on fine wools and leather as a core code. He redrew the logo and set out to update the driving shoe by supersizing the gommino detail and using it on ballerinas or on sleeves of leather jackets as detail. It helps that Chiapponi can rely on impeccable taste which he picked up over the years working with Miss Prada or Mr. Lee.
Supersizing the gommino detail
Leather is at the core of Tod’s
ACHTUNG friend Maike Inga on the runway at Walter Ciapponi’s debut collection at Tod’s F/W 2020
Walter Ciapponi’s debut collection at Tod’s F/W 2020
The last show?
Chiapponi proved rather apt at holding big shows taking the brand out of its presentation style setting at PAC and into big warehouse spaces where his electric soundtracks and fresh faced castings and clear silhouettes made Tod’s also a fashion brand. He invented a hybrid shoe of sandal and loafer, added a large multi-purpose belt around the waist from which leather gloves dangled for some tension, cut apart a vest and used its bottom part and buttons as accessory to imbue design skill and lightness, added colorful knitwear and suit and trench coat tailoring which was fluid and deconstructed.
Hybrid shoe of loafer and sandal
Colorful knitwear and large multi-purpose belts with leather gloves
Cut-apart vest
Trench coat tailoring
Walter Chiapponi after his last show for Tod’s S/S 2024
