Rahul Mishra X Tod's: Indian artistry meets Italian luxury

The collection is part of a creative laboratory where established and emerging designers are invited to offer a new point of view on Tod's iconic heritage

By Naini Thaker Forbes India Staff

Published: Sep 16, 2024 04:21:32 PM IST

Updated: Sep 16, 2024 04:38:36 PM IST

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Tod’s has a 100-year-old legacy as a brand of handcrafted skilled Italian artisanship. The Rahul Mishra x Tod’s collaboration seamlessly blends Indian artistry with Italian luxury.

On Friday, luxury fashion brand Tod’s announced the launch of “Rahul Mishra X Tod’s”, a new Tod’s Factory project, in collaboration with Indian designer Rahul Mishra. Mishra reinterpreted Tod’s iconic products such as the Gommino, the Di Bag and the T Timeless accessories—”combining the best of both worlds; craftsmanship, quality and modern design, making Tod’s products Couture accessories, through his exquisite embroideries,” says Carlo Alberto Beretta, general manager, Tod’s.

“This collaboration pays homage to the encounter of quality and Italian artisanal tradition and the essence of Indian craftsmanship: Tod’s iconic accessories, hand embroidered by skilled karigar artisans, who interpret timeless luxury with a contemporary language,” he adds.

The Rahul Mishra X Tod’s collection is part of Tod’s Factory, a creative laboratory where established and emerging designers are invited to offer a new point of view on the Tod’s DNA and its iconic heritage. Mishra says, “It's about the meeting of heads, hands and hearts for us—when they all come together, we create art. It's very exciting.”

Tod’s Factory allows creatives unique access to Tod’s craftsmen and the savoir faire in the Marche region of Italy, creating a range of capsule collections and limited-edition pieces within the season. Tod’s has a 100-year-old legacy as a brand of handcrafted skilled Italian artisanship. The Rahul Mishra x Tod’s collaboration seamlessly blends Indian artistry with Italian luxury.

Forbes India chats with Mishra, about this latest collaboration, staying ahead of the curve and more. Edited excerpts:

On the collaboration

We have been in touch with Tod’s for many years now. I went to their headquarters in Ancona, Italy, in October 2017. I was very impressed to see Tod's employing a lot of hand processes, along with work happening through some of the most sophisticated machines. That's when I realised that Tod's and Rahul Mishra, as brands have a lot of similarities in terms of value systems. I felt an instant connection.

From 2018 onwards, we started exchanging patterns, materials, and then things started evolving. It was quite a challenge also since, I was working with shoes and bags for the first time. Hence, it took us a few years, to develop the right kind of technique to work with these materials. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, so we had to pause. And then, in 2023 we reinitiated conversations.

Working with a certain kind of fabric, in terms of hand embroidery and then exporting it to Italy for the final product to be created, was quite laborious and challenging for both teams. At the same time, the teams were learning from each other and that was a beautiful experience. The result is that we have created some of the most detailed products in this category, with a lot more finer embroidery as compared to what you see with many other shoes and bags. I feel that it is a collaboration of the best of Italian craftsmanship and Indian craftsmanship.

On the design process

We decided to keep it very simple, because we wanted the outcome to be something very impactful. This was a first-of-a-kind product for both Tod's and Rahul Mishra. We have never really worked with shoes and bags.

We went with signature shapes and designs of Tod's, similarly for embroidery also, I was selecting the brand's iconic motifs, such as floral motifs. The iconic Gommino, the loafers and the mule with meticulous vibrant floral embroideries expertly woven with silk threads on metallic napa leather or on soft black or golden velvet feature the majestic Tree of Life, a symbol of Rahul Mishra’s design. The iconic Di Bag and the T Timeless shoulder bag showcase intricate floral embroideries with gold sari, enriched by crystal, beads and sequins, becoming precious Couture accessories.

The idea was for the product to look very much Italian, but also look connected to the global Indian aesthetic. Even if we hide the brand names, a person can still look at the product and say that this shoe or bag is made in Italy and the embroidery is from India.

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On staying ahead of the curve

We don't try to compete with anybody else. We are just looking at our own work, reinventing it, and hence, staying ahead of the curve. We always push ourselves to trying something new. Even with something old, we try to find ways to give it a new take, develop it further by polishing it. We try to keep our brand code simple and straightforward.

On global ambitions

I'm quite happy with the way couture is growing, the kind of recognition the brand is getting globally… we have to continue growing it. AFEW Rahul Mishra is also something we are taking a keen interest in. Ready to wear is a segment which has potential to scale up. We like to execute everything in detail, it is less than a a year old, and we want to make sure that the brand does really well.

As for collaborations, we are very selective, and Tod's is one of those iconic brands that we have loved working with. We don't like to hurry, and we don't like to do things that we are not 100 percent about.

Our dream is to become the most exciting luxury fashion brand. I feel that if we can retain the excitement and passion, the business and financials side of things will fall into place. Lastly, as we grow, I want our people to grow with us. So the larger dream is that we become a brand that also helps our team, to fulfil their dreams.