Sprezzatura. Tod’s SS26

Count on Matteo Tamburini to deliver a precise, hands-on collection in Milan. His Tod’s has become synonymous with finesse – especially in the realm of leather. It was reworked in myriad ways: from butter-smooth, striped dresses so languid and breezy they looked, from afar, like silk foulards; to a Macintosh coat worn inside out, its hidden seams revealed as bold graphic punctuation; to an easygoing suede column in a life-affirming shade of curcuma.

Tamburini also sent down the runway a series of feather-light pullovers in warm hues, styled with matching briefs, silk scarves, ladylike pumps, and oversized striped totes. Very chic – just like the black-and-white ensemble of a zipped hoodie, men’s shirt, and tailored pants. With every season, the Tod’s woman and her style grow ever more refined. Sprezzatura.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

NET-A-PORTER Limited

Milano Modernism. Tod’s AW25

Matteo Tamburini very steadily transforms Tod’s into one of the most interesting brands to observe (and buy into) in Milan. The autumn-winter 2025 show took place at PAC, the Contemporary Art Pavilion, designed in the 1950s in a modernist style. It was the perfect backdrop for the line-up that blended charismatic minimalism with the warmth of the brand’s craftsmanship know-how. “I wanted to emphasize the feel of the hand and make the surfaces eloquent,” the designer mused, explaining that he drew inspiration from the textural works of Italian artists like Carla Accardi and Lucio Fontana. Outerwear stood out in particular, with coats that were elongated, often cinched at the waist or accented with half-belts at the back. Another highlight was the slender mocha knit worn over a earthy-hued, silk pencil skirt, accessorized with a pair of olive-green gloves. Very chic, very Milano.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

NET-A-PORTER Limited

Honest Minimalism. Tod’s SS25

At Tod’s, Matteo Tamburini offers honest, minimalist, yet lively clothes you want to buy into. The spring-summer 2025 collection was inspired with Cycladic sculptures, but the designer treated the reference lightly. Crafted mostly from leather, the line-up explored the play between structure and fluidity. The pleated bottle-green dress was sublime, just as the canary-yellow t-shirt, and the smoothness of their leather textures looks (and feels) truly striking. Tamburini doesn’t try to be the next The Row with his vision of Tod’s, and isn’t doing minimalism that has a generic, Toteme-like feel. His “less is more” is bold and captivating. And investment-worthy.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

Chic Commuter. Tod’s AW24

At Tod’s, a very promising debut by Matteo Tamburini. This is one of these Italian brands that struggle to find their path to ready-to-wear. Walter Chiapponi had some solid ideas, but it just didn’t click. Tamburini’s autumn-winter 2024 was an ambitious observation of Milan commuters’ style. His office-bound travelers were a runway fantasy, but there’s certainly something undeniably chic about how Milanese people dress day-to-day, and this Tod’s outing was a convincing reflection of that. The motifs that ran through this collection were the belts featuring gleaming hardware inspired by vintage Alfa Romeo grilles, and the house’s emblematic driving shoes that came with enlarged and more robust gommino traction on the soles. Some of these shoes arrived with extravagant leather fringing, a detail that was echoed further down the line in leather scarves. Just as the Tod’s shoes came with that finely-calibrated customization to take them beyond the norm, Tamburini applied strokes of subtle oddness – double-collared shirting, hyper-break pants, four layered wool and silk falling-off charcoal “twinsets,” pushed proportion leather-panel trenches, knits in stiff boiled cashmere – to almost every look. If you’re not still persuaded to step into a Tod’s store, then at least you might want to get inspired by some of these styling tips.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

NET-A-PORTER Limited