Weaving wicker into luxury bags and shoes
Around the time Romualdo Dori was conceptualizing his retail brand RODO, he was fascinated by the woven wicker baskets people used in the markets of Florence, Italy. The wicker was too pretty to use for just fruits and vegetables, Romualdo thought. So in 1956, he launched RODO and began a style revolution that incorporated woven wicker into luxury handbags and shoes.
To create his world-class wicker products, Romualdo developed a process that would ensure exclusivity and high value. He dyed the wicker, wove it, sprayed it with lacquer, incorporated it into the shoes and bags, then embellished the final products with metal accessories.
“Wicker is in our DNA,” says RODO CEO and owner Gianni Dori, the eldest child of Romualdo. “Four years ago, we put up a weaving school in our headquarters. We use this to train all the young people who are working for RODO so they can continue the tradition of weaving.”
Today, RODO, now a global brand, operates out of its 7,000-sqm space on the Adriatic Coast, Italy. It has consolidated its factories, bringing under one roof its separate factories for handbags, shoes, and metal accessories, as well as its weaving school. With everything centralized, it is easy to have full control of product development.
Global recognition
Expanding beyond Italy, RODO took its woven products, added other materials, and found great success in the US and Japan markets by the end of the 1970s. The US market, in particular, remains strong, with RODO products being worn by Hollywood stars and showbiz celebrities like Beyoncé, Charlize Theron, Uma Thurman, and Jodie Foster.
The company has also ventured into the rest of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with Hong Kong and Singapore leading the distribution in the region.
Recently, RODO launched its Spring/Summer 2025 collection at Rustan’s Makati. Inspired by Capri in the 1960s, the collection reminds one of relaxed, breezy days on the beautifully laidback Italian island. Sand-colored linen, natural leather, and plant-based colors dominate this new line, featuring slingbacks and sandals, shoulder bags and the iconic Paris bag in both large and small.
This is the second time RODO has partnered with Rustan’s. The luxury retail destination first carried RODO products in the 1990s, when Romualdo was at the helm of RODO. It was as in-demand then as it is now.
“It’s a real privilege to be back here in Manila,” says Dori.
Along with the introduction of their new collection at Rustan’s is a showcase of a few of RODO’s bestselling pieces, some dating back to the 1950s. Included in the display are a bejeweled hand-crocheted evening clutch from 1959, a suede shoulder bag designed in 1972, and a metal minaudiere with black lamb’s fur from 1999.
Tradition in a modern world
RODO maintains excellence by preserving its expertise in wicker but also by capitalizing on the wide reach of digital marketing.
“We have all the tools you need to make RODO known everywhere,” says Dori, who is also in charge of marketing and sales. “We focus on digital and influencer marketing. But also, we have good quality, uniqueness, tradition, and aggressive distribution.”
This is how a three-generation, family-owned business can sustain its strong worldwide appeal.
Because of RODO’s exceptional attention to quality control, RODO products are guaranteed to reflect decades of refined craftsmanship. Today, this family-run company continues to create world-class products that have earned a niche in the international market.
