Tod’s goes green — garden green

Long iconic for its D bags and G bags, Tod’s looks to have another winner on its hands with the Cape bag, the Italian luxury house’s brand-new style for spring/summer 2015.

The brightly colored leather totes are easy to open and close, thanks to magnetic fastenings on the sides shaped like the cape it’s named after.  No zippers or clasps to fuss with — just pull the handles apart and the corners give way to reveal a roomy interior (perhaps lined with a contrasting shade of fabric); to close, pull the handles shut and the magnetic closures fold in upon themselves.

It’s a clever touch from Tod’s creative director Alessandra Facchinetti, who brings the panache and experience gleaned from years of designing for Valentino and Gucci to Tod’s.

Italian gardens inspired Tod’s SS15, called “Private Green,” so there’s “more greenery, flower patterns — everything found in a garden,” notes Vivian Siu, PR assistant for Tod’s Hong Kong. “Gardens have a lot of birds, so we’re adding one new accessory to the bags: a parrot charm.”

As the focus of the bag line, the Cape comes in three sizes, and various colors and styles, from perforated to patchwork to a blinged-out evening bag pebbled with Swarovski crystals.

In fact, Tod’s signature gommino pebbles run throughout the entire collection, and not just on the soles of the shoes. Metal studs and mirrored discs dot vibrantly colored bucket bags, ready-to-wear tops cut from buttery-soft calf leather, and the outside of the shoes themselves — Tod’s inner sole displayed as outer soul, if you will.

Baby, you can drive my … shoes

Though Tod’s is famed for its driving shoes, for summer there are espadrilles, flats and dual-toned sandals with a thick heel for more comfort.

On the Gommino Spilla, a leather moccasin style from last season that features a safety-pin detail, “this season we’re adding one more layer of fringe on the shoes, so you can wear them from day to nighttime,” Siu says.

Now that Facchinetti is onboard, Tod’s is also expanding its RTW and accessories. “She is adding sporty-chic elements like a biker jacket and leather top,” Siu continues. “I think Alessandra is also really good at accessory design,” she says about the organically shaped cuffs, necklaces, earrings and rings that incorporate Tod’s patchwork leather technique.

Though the Philippine boutiques currently don’t carry the ready-to-wear, merchandising assistant Denise Buencamino says clients can special-order items like a perforated white leather slip dress that would make the ideal beach cover-up.

Men also have their ‘Murse’

In the Philippines men actually buy more Tod’s than women — not a stretch since they drive more and therefore patronize the gommino loafers (Tod’s for Ferrari is a huge hit). To address customers’ requests for a more effective driving shoe, Tod’s has evolved its classic gommino sole to the City Gommino, with flat, more durable rubber soles.

“Why? For so many years customers said that the shoes were really comfy but not really good when you put it on the accelerator, so these have a thicker base,” Siu explains. “For men I suggest buying three pairs: one for sunny days, one for rain, and one for driving.”

Not to be left out, men also have their “murse,” the double-striped Script bag inspired by actors. “They have a lot of scripts on hand so after a movie, if they don’t want to tote a heavy script, we have a convertible pouch inside for their wallet and sunnies,” she says. “It’s a more functional bag for guys. The new version is softer, more casual — a summer bag for outdoor activities.”

Last year, Tod’s also hired designer Andrea Incontri as creative director for menswear; hence more directional pieces like a suede leather jacket with 11 pockets on the outside, eliminating the need for a bag altogether.

For SS15, the Tod’s man can sport a denim look he can pair with a driving loafer, Marlin boat shoe or espadrille, even if his jacket is actually made of the softest blue leather.

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In the Philippines, Tod’s is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., and is located at Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center, Makati, and Rustan’s Tower, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.