Tod’s Diego Della Valle On Style VS Fashion, Politics And Why Italians Do it Better

A candid chat with one of the leaders of Italian fashion

Last week, Diego Della Valle, the president and CEO of Tod’s, was in Dubai to present Tod’s Tattoo, a collection of accessories embellished with designs by London-based tattoo artist Saira Hunjan, a favourite of celebrities such as Jude Law and Kate Moss.

The outspoken fashion mogul, whose outsize role in Italian society is more akin to that of a beloved politician than just an industry leader, is still at the head of the shoemaking business that his grandfather founded in the 1920s in the Marche region of Italy. Della Valle turned that small factory into one of the most celebrated Italian brands, slowly building an empire that now also includes Hogan, Fay and Roger Vivier.

Known for his business acumen – he’s on the boards of companies such as LVMH and Ferrari, and owns football team Fiorentina – Della Valle is the ultimate Renaissance man, a bon vivant who fully embodies Italy’s dolce vita, jet-setting around the world, and spending every summer on his legendary boat, the Marlin, which once belonged to John F. Kennedy.

Della Valle is also deeply committed to a series of philanthropic causes: Tod’s was responsible for a massive restauration of the Colosseum in Rome and is about to unveil a factory in an Italian area recently hit by an earthquake. His strong involvement in Italy’s public affairs has often led to speculations that one day he could run for office.

He addressed this and other topics during an exclusive chat before a VIP event to celebrate the Middle East launch of Tod’s Tattoo.

Tod’s has always been about style rather than fashion. Would you agree with that?

It’s a choice for us not to follow trends. You need to have fun and play with the heritage but it’s in our history, started by my grandfather, to focus on doing certain things well and then changing the way we communicate to our clients. We try to reinvent certain iconic products while keeping the key elements intact so that people know that you’re buying a Tod’s product. Nowadays, many brands focus only on what’s trendy, on the young consumers who forget very fast; it’s a risky strategy because it brings incredible short-term success but it can also be scary. They just change for the sake of changing but I prefer to build loyalty among my clients. We inject a dose of fun with limited editions like this tattoo project or by working with an athlete that we feel represents our brand well. This tattoo artist is a phenomenon and you could say that she works in the same way as our artisans do. The tattoo is also a symbol of rebellion so it adds excitement.

Do you feel that these projects work better for Tod’s than having a designer at the helm?

We worked with many designers in the past and are very respectful to them but nowadays with the way news travel so fast and the way consumers shop, the idea of just having one designer can become a bit tired so we prefer to have a set-up that is like the famous factory of Andy Warhol, both in the design department and in the communication department, which are now pretty much the same thing. They used to be separate but now it’s the same so we need a group of people who understand our DNA, our identity, which is based on the Made in Italy, Italian quality and Italian lifestyle.

Is that what Tod’s stands for?

Yes, we’ve never changed our key message. Even now, with all these changes happening so fast, I believe that the fundamental message needs to stay the same. You have to make small changes, obviously, whether it’s the face you choose to deliver the message or create projects such as this, especially now that clients get their information online, but the core message is the same. There are so many events happening every day but people forget them after only a few hours. You need to have certain principles like those restaurants that are known for one thing in particular and do it well: you go there for steak, let’s say, but then inside you find a lot of other things that are also good. For us it’s important to offer a product that’s refined and elegant but you also need to have something that captures the eye.

How would you define the Tod’s woman?

Our clients, women who travel and move, are the same everywhere. It’s a sporty and refined aesthetic, not focused on eveningwear but daywear, for women who are on the go. We make things that need to be worn and used, practical and refined. This is our woman too: practical and refined.

The Colosseum in Rome

Can you also shed some light on your philanthropic initiatives? It is often rumoured that one day you’ll enter politics.

I’m not really involved in politics but I say what I think and often that’s mistaken for a desire to enter politics but it’s not that. I’m just a concerned citizen who speaks out when I think you have to. But in the end what I love to do is leading Tod’s. My brother and I love doing this and our outside investments are mainly financial. Some of them are very beautiful too, like the train company Italo, which is going very well. It’s rewarding to see a train I own going very fast up and down the country when I think that when I was a young student sometimes I rode trains without a ticket. But my focus and energy are on Tod’s. I believe that when you’re successful you have to share with the community and also the people who work for you in order to make their lives better. The Colosseum is just an example but for me it’s important to make young generations understand that you’re not actually successful unless you give back. Sometimes industry leaders are too busy running their businesses and don’t think about that but after you show them how easy it is, they do it. This December we’re opening a factory in the earthquake-stricken areas of Italy and I want this to be an example that things can be done and do happen, even in Italy. Creating jobs is the goal in the end.

You’ve been talking about the changes sweeping the industry. What’s your take on see now/buy now and all these recent disruptions?

The new concept is that the point of view of fashion of the past is gone. Now designers are more PR people rather than actual designers trained the old-fashion way. They’re friends of bloggers and are like celebrities who can create buzz and have many followers. Sometimes they’re good designers but most of the time they’re just personalities, which means that the quality is going down. Back in the days, as a designer you were an apprentice and would learn slowly but now many young designers recycle items from the supermarket and turn them into fashion, just for fun, which is pure marketing so you have to be careful because the history of fashion is getting lost. Not to be heavy and serious, but you need to know about Yves Saint Laurent, Elsa Schiaparelli, Coco Chanel… There’s too much excitement in the market now and you have to be careful with that. As a brand, you have to be careful not to stay behind but at the same time not to move too fast and follow fads for no reason.