This Milan Design Week, while the city is bubbling over with creativity, Tod’s took a decisive moment to slow things down. To spotlight the craft. To raise a glass—of Prosecco, of course—to the humble moccasin that helped define Italian luxury: the Gommino.
Inside Tod’s flagship store on Via della Spiga, guests moved between celebrity smiles and the rhythmic gestures of artisans flown in from the Marches. They stitched, stretched, and assembled suede under soft lighting, as models like Bianca Balti and actors like Stefano Accorsi looked on. A rare sight: the luxury behind the label, live and breathing.
And there was reason to celebrate. For Milan Design Week, Tod’s launched a limited-edition Gommino, bathed in vibrant orange suede and grounded by its signature 133 rubber pebbles. Only available at the Milan boutique and online, this edition pays tribute to the more than 100 handcrafted steps and 35 pieces of leather required to produce each pair.
“Italian Hands”: A Book Preserving Disappearing Crafts
The occasion also marked the unveiling of “Italian Hands: Artisanal Stories from Italy,” a book that’s part memoir, part manifesto. Published by Tod’s and guided by the vision of CEO Diego Della Valle. The volume pairs celebrated creatives with the artisans they trust, from glassmakers and ceramists to brass sculptors and pesto makers. Among them: Giberto Arrivabene and Murano master Gianni Seguso, Lola Montes Schnabel and terracotta expert Rosario Spina, Madina Visconti with bronze artisan Ernesto Carati.
“Italian Hands: Artisanal Stories from Italy,” is a reminder that Italian excellence is shaped by stories, places, and above all, hands. As Michelle Yeoh notes in her foreword: “True strength lies not only in manual ability, but in the heart of those who create.”
