A song – a harmony of a voice and several instruments – materialises as we discover Villa Necchi room by room. Bringing the casual and outdoorsy nonchalance of a collection that captures the spirit of an ideal grand tour through easy shapes and washed, worn out textures. And just like in a song, each instrument alone is somehow naked, so the spirit of simplification, the taste for the elegantly unfinished give character to the pieces, like they have already lived a life.
At the head of the T Factory, Tod’s Creative Director Walter Chiapponi works on the brand’s lifestyle, interpreting a collection that is both eccentric and spontaneous, always personal and definitely made by humans. While clothing is made up of archetypal garments, accessories highlight the Tod’s know-how, the excellence of the craft and workmanship which goes into making the most intricate details and handmade elements.
For her, washed suede and canvas safari jackets, liquid duster jackets, patchwork leather blousons, pleated trousers and long shirts are the respectable items of a summer trip.
Accessories free imagination and joy. The gommino sandals are decorated with studs and fastened with laces that rise to the ankle; the foot appears almost bare on the high cork platform wedges. The intangibility of the plexiglass hourglass heels contrasts with the palpable tactile nature of the leather straps on sandals. Boots are made of canvas. The archive T Timeless recurs as a sign on loafers and bags with a geometric profile. Shoppers are made with minimal cuts of leather, the bucket bags are made of calf. The Shirt Bag is made by folding large pieces of fine leather. Tod’s Oboe bag is the new version of the hobo with a soft profile.
The masculine wardrobe has an intensely lived-in characteristic and it is formal in its absolute informality. The spirit of the urban traveler is captured in the four patch pockets of the field jacket, a must for the season in drill or washed suede. The same nonchalant perfection is found in the polo shirt, the shirt with patch pockets, in the soft pullovers and loose trousers.
The hero material used in the accessories is washed suede, and the big stitches that accentuate the idea of handmade and that characterise the Gommini with oversize fringing details, which can also be seen in an ankle length version. There are sneakers and tasseled boat shoes which have white, nautical soles. Bags are soft, spacious and functional, or have clean profiles and closures sealed by the archive T Timeless. Signs blend freely, like a journey.
