sartorialists
THE COLLECTION FEATURES PLENTY OF RAW AND TACTILE DETAILS SUCH AS PATCHWORK LEATHER, ARTFUL CREASES AND WASHED SUEDE. WHY THE EMPHASIS ON WHAT YOU REFER TO AS THE “ELEGANTLY UNFINISHED”?
“This element is so important because the entire collection focuses heavily on the idea of nonchalance. Nowadays, luxury is not just about wearing the best fabric with the best cuts made by the best tailor. For me and the new generation of luxury consumers, it also means to feel at ease in the garments, unhampered by any codes so that everybody can be his or her own character.”
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE ACCESSORIES FROM THE COLLECTION AND WHAT MAKES THEM SO SPECIAL FOR YOU?
“I’m in love with the Shirt bag (which comes as a day-friendly hobo or shopper, both with organic lines and zero hardware) because of its softness and deconstructed shape. And, of course, the Oboe (another hobo with a supple finish that belies its graphic, geometric silhouette) because it is exactly the expression of my vision: a very classic shape reinterpreted with fancy colours and leathers, and simple yet sophisticated details (its only hardware is the brand’s Timeless T logo in metal on the loop of the shoulder strap).”
THE CONCEPT OF “ITALIAN GOOD TASTE” ANCHORED YOUR DEBUT FALL/WINTER 2020 COLLECTION. HOW RELEVANT IS IT TO YOUR COLLECTION THIS SEASON?
“For me, Italian good taste is a lifestyle and a way to enjoy life and it is to me relevant more than ever because I like to reimagine it through my designs with avant-garde details. It is not only about (creating pieces for) leisure, but also about bringing fashion to the edge. (This season’s women’s collection offers elegant, hot-weather-appropriate staples in refreshingly energetic hues like fluorescent pink, emerald green and lavender while key accessories sport arty, playful details such as acrylic hourglass-shaped heels.)”
DO YOU HAVE A CONSTANT PHILOSOPHY THAT GUIDES YOU AS A DESIGNER?
“My philosophy is always to create something fluid… I like to design something that can be relevant to anywhere and any time, every occasion and everyone. This collection is an example if you think about how it’s grounded in nonchalance.”
YOUR ROLE AT TOD’S REPRESENTS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU’RE IN CHARGE OF A LABEL (HE HAD CUT HIS TEETH AT GIVENCHY AND WENT ON TO WORK AT VALENTINO, MIU MIU, GUCCI AND BOTTEGA VENETA). HAS THIS CHANGED YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS IN ANY WAY?
“It was a very big, happy surprise when Tod’s called me, but it hasn’t changed the way that I work. Even though I’m in charge of the label and guide an entire team, I feel that everyone is my peer and we’re all here to build something together. I still like to work technically with fabrics; to draw sketches; to work daily on every aspect of the job. I have my team, but I’m not just supervising. I’m definitely in the thick of things too.”
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST FORCES THAT HAVE SHAPED YOU AS A DESIGNER AND WHAT DO YOU ADMIRE ABOUT THEM?
“I think everything that I’ve created has a specific aura. One of my favourite books is The Work Of Art In The Age Of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin, a philosopher who argued in 1935 that the idea of the aura is applied to anything created by an artist or a designer – and my aura comes from my family. (My biggest influence) has been my family and how it has taught me to live my life. Everything comes from my family; all my ideas from old memories.”
WHAT’S ONE RULE IN FASHION DESIGN THAT YOU’VE ALWAYS FELT IS IRRELEVANT?
“I’ve always hated the idea that luxury is about wearing something expensive. For me, luxury is to wear an idea.”
YOU’VE SAID IN PREVIOUS INTERVIEWS THAT YOU PREFER TO STEER TOD’S AWAY FROM LUXURY STREET WEAR AND ITS USUAL TRAPPINGS (LOGOS, BRIGHT COLOURS ETC). YET IT SEEMS THAT ALMOST EVERY MAJOR LUXURY LABEL OFFERS SOME OF THAT TODAY TO STAY COMPETITIVE. HOW DO YOU BALANCE COMMERCIAL DEMANDS WITH YOUR OWN ARTISTIC VISION?
“Some audiences like luxury street wear because they like to be comfortable, but still be able to show off. Here at Tod’s, I keep going with collections that are not over-designed or over-constructed to respect that desire to feel at ease – all while retaining the elegance and chicness of luxury fashion in a cool and fresh way. Luxury street wear is just another way of expression that’s maybe more ephemeral. My idea of design is to create something more everlasting.”
COMPLETE THIS SENTENCE: THE FASHION INDUSTRY TODAY NEEDS MORE OF… AND LESS OF…
“It needs more poetry and less seriousness.”
BEFORE STREET STYLE BECAME THE INFLUENCER-DOMINATED, DO-IT-FOR-THE-’GRAM FASHION WEEK SPORT THAT IT’S EVOLVED INTO IN THE PAST DECADE, IT WAS A MORE SPONTANEOUS, LESS SPLASHY AFFAIR. THE LATE GODFATHER OF THE SCENE, BILL CUNNINGHAM, AND HIS STYLISH DOCUMENTARY OF WHAT NEW YORKERS – CELEBRITY OR NOT – WORE AS THEY WENT ABOUT THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES IN THE ’70S THROUGH TO THE EARLY AUGHTS. THE NOW-DEFUNCT JAPANESE MAGAZINE FRUITS AND ITS IMMORTALISATION OF ’90S HARAJUKU SUBCULTURES AND THEIR INDIVIDUALISTIC FASHION TASTES. EVEN THE HOTSHOTS OF THE BLOGGER GENERATION – NAMES LIKE TOMMY TON AND SCOTT SCHUMAN OF THE SARTORIALIST FAME WHO HAVE SINCE LARGELY TRADED STREET STYLE FOR COMMERCIAL WORK – CAPTURED A VERY DIFFERENT SIDE TO THE INDUSTRY AND ITS FOLLOWERS IN THEIR EARLY YEARS: MODELS OFF DUTY, CAMERA-SHY EDITORS ON THE GO, THE PASSER-BY WHO GENUINELY LOVES DRESSING UP. SO WITH THE GLOBAL FASHION WEEKS MUCH QUIETER THAN BEFORE SINCE THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, WE THOUGHT: WHY NOT POUND THE STREETS OF SINGAPORE AND BRING BACK THAT CELEBRATION OF REAL STYLE?