Editor’s Note
In this exclusive interview, Tod’s Group Chairman Diego Della Valle redefines the future of Italian luxury, arguing that true excellence lies not in algorithms alone but in the marriage of artisanal intelligence and human touch.
Diego Della Valle, Chairman of the Tod’s Group, discusses why the future of Made in Italy lies in artisanal intelligence, people, and a new idea of excellence.
On Artisanal Intelligence and the Human Touch
“Artificial intelligence can tell you many things about your consumer, it teaches you to refine your relationship with them. But in the end, the customer must open a box and find an excellent product inside, one capable of surprising them, combining style and function, with that extra touch that only the hands of real people can achieve. In our world, this principle of excellence still holds: we must be good at maintaining and protecting it, using increasingly precious materials and studying new leather working techniques.”
Redefining Luxury: Quality and Desirability
“The word luxury does not exist. There is only desirability and quality. The most innovative step was truly the bootie, made with magnificent materials, the rubber studs on the sole and heel. Before launching it, we established a very strict quality evaluation center: from the leathers, selected one by one, to a group of former employees who wore them and walked seven or eight kilometers a day, then reported their impressions to my father…”
The Essence of Made in Italy
“It is a concept that starts from artisanal businesses, rooted in a world full of history, third and fourth-generation families who work and talk in the evening about what happens in the factory… A single click is not enough to build well-made products. And we must not make the mistake of thinking that Made in Italy is represented by expensive objects. That is part of it, certainly, but it is first and foremost an authentic, and often very simple, lifestyle of Italian families. A lifestyle that starts from the most beautiful holiday destinations in the world, I think of Capri and Portofino, and reaches that small town in the Cuneo area or the Marche region that foreigners want to discover.”
The Revolution of Softness: The Gommino
“For that period, almost 50 years ago, it was a novice’s intuition: everyone was buying English shoes or structured, heavy Italian shoes, and clothing followed suit. Looking at men around the world, I realized that to create innovative footwear, we had to think the opposite: create shoes that were not rigid, but soft; not heavy, but light.”
Versatility and the Modern Lifestyle
“If a product doesn’t deserve it, it doesn’t fit into the concept of lifestyle. In this, versatility is very important. Today, people travel constantly, they want to be light, everything must fit in a carry-on: so they need items and accessories that are useful in every context and occasion. Before the Gommino, elegance was divided into watertight compartments: the board of directors, the office, the weekend…”
The Red Dot: A New Revolution in Understated Luxury
“My father was a master for all of us. Today, my brother Andrea and I have put our know-how into the Red Dot: that’s how the Pashmy was born, a suede as soft as cashmere. It took many months of experimentation to combine techniques inspired by great craftsmanship with the high technology of the soles. The final touch: elastics instead of laces. The maximum of functionality combined with an aesthetic of good taste. The start is very encouraging.”