Taking place in Milan this afternoon, the Tod's Autumn/Winter 2025 show was entitled 'Artisanal Intelligence', presumably a word play on 'Artificial Intelligence' and its ever-growing power in our digital world.
Guests were greeted by Carla Bruni at the entrance, who was wearing a dress composed of strips of differently tanned leather, which descended into a carpet beneath her feet. Holding a giant gold needle with thread looped through the eye, this image sent a bold message to on-watchers about the storied house's commitment to craft.
A black, exquisitely cut double-breasted trench coat was the first look to come out on the cream-carpeted runway. Variations of these — in leather, suede, wool and faux-fur — ran throughout the collection in a cornucopia of colours. Pillar box red, chocolate brown, slate grey, the outerwear was truly the star of the collection.
Small leather pouches were clipped to belts or larger bags in contrasting colours. Tod's began life in 1920, being started by Filippo Della Valle, a shoe cobbler. Autumn/winter 2025 featured footwear in the form of snakeskin boots and loafers, rounded-toe pumps and silver embellished brogues.
Towards the end of the show, fringing was introduced, contrasting with the buttery smooth and sleek leathers. Tweed jackets had dramatic fringed and frayed edges, and scarves featured long tasseled details. There were two ribbed layered knitwear ensembles, one in marl brown and one in grey, that looked incredibly chic yet incredibly comfortable.
Keira Knightley and Kelly Rutherford watched from the front row, as bags were held in a similar manner to the rest of the shows from the week — gripped from the edge or folded in half. Models wore hand pendants on black ribbon around their necks and the occasional pair of chunky framed sunglasses.
The final look was dress with a ribbed, knitted bandeau body, and paper-bag drop-waist leather skirt. Worn with flat loafer mules, all in the same shade of chocolate brown, it was understated elegance at it's finest.
