Tod's New York City flagship revamp helps kick off a new era

By

Roxanne Robinson

Published
Dec 6, 2023

Tod's is poised for a new era after announcing a new creative director, Matteo Tamburini, this past week. While Tamburini's appointment will most directly affect the brand's offerings, Tod's has already been busy reimaging a key retail space: the Manhattan flagship store, which bowed recently.

FashionNetwork.com spoke with Roberto Lorenzini, CEO of Tod's Group Americas on the new retail direction, which hosts an exclusive focus on the popular My Di bag.

The store, located at 650 Madison, has been a staple for the brand for over 20 years and was ripe for a significant 'gloss-up' operated in a semi-closed-off manner for several months while the store reimagined a new look. According to Lorenzini, the aim was to highlight the brand's expanding product offerings.

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"The store design strategy was to create a very elegant and modern atmosphere with a more open concept to showcase a full range of products. It gives a total picture of the lifestyle of the Tod's brand.  The new space gives visibility to the ready-to-wear and bags together with the brand's main category, shoes," the CEO said over email.

The elegance and modernity arrive quintessentially Italian, with the 2400-square-foot retail space also serving to underscore the country's renowned craftsmanship. Expansive 14-foot-tall windows allow ample sunlight to highlight white travertine marble floors and walls covered in naturally tanned leather, setting the stage for a large travertine table designed by Angelo Mangiarotti in 1971, vintage vintage armchairs by Corrado Corradi dell'Acqua and couches made from the house leather.

"The intention was to align the use of luxurious materials in the store design with the luxurious nature of our products. From the panels of Pietra Grigia di Vicenza stone to the large travertine table at the entryway to the Vachetta leather walls, Tod's signature material, the concept marries very well with the DNA of the brand and the Italian lifestyle," Lorenzini continued, adding, "Madison Avenue, which is our flagship, is the first to have this design scheme and other locations may follow with the same aesthetic."

Bookshelf-style display cases, such as the double-sided version in stainless steel and leather facing 60th Street, allow for the brand's full scope of merchandise—ready-to-wear, shoes, and handbags—to be displayed wholistically.

The New York store will offer an exclusive service to pay homage to its iconic My Di bag— named so as it was a preferred style of the late Princess of Wales. It's also favored by today's celebrities, such as Nicole Kidman, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Garner, Zoe Saldana, and Kate Winslet.

"The My Di bag customization service allows clients to personalize their own Di bag by choosing leather colors and monogrammed initials, special lettering in select colors. Each customized My Di bag will have a digital product passport that assures the authenticity of the product and enables customers to access product certificates, origin, craftsmanship, and journey from creation to purchase," Lorenzini confirmed.

The store will open with the 2023 holiday delivery of its men's and women's ready-to-wear, accessories, and footwear, including its Gommino driving shoes and the T Timeless collection.

The official opening celebration is slated to coincide with NYFW in February when the new Spring 2024 collection will hit the store. Another Tod's Group brand, Roger Vivier, hopes to christen its new store upgrade around the same time, which will be located on East 60th Street.

The new store will spur a slew of new projects both in retail and wholesale in 2024, according to Lorenzini.

"As Tod's is known for its Italian heritage and commitment to craftsmanship, we look for store locations embodying the brand's DNA.  We are scouting locations in downtown New York, like Soho and the Meatpacking District, and considering markets on the US's West Coast and Southeast region. Finding the perfect location and space takes some time. Still, once we come across the right opportunity, it will be seriously considered," he noted, adding, "Continuing our momentum from 2023, we will expand our wholesale distribution in our main category, which is shoes, while accelerating the expansion of the handbag category which has shown significant growth in the past couple of years."