MILAN — “We want to wow our guests,” said Mytheresa chief executive officer Michael Kliger, referring to the two-day experience it is planning with Tod’s.
The luxury online retailer and the Italian luxury brand are launching an exclusive capsule collection, available globally from Wednesday, and staging a two-day experiential event in Milan.
After a cocktail at storied aperitif bar Camparino in Galleria, in the city’s luxury shopping arcade Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a selected group of around 65 customers and guests will be invited to the La Scala theater for a performance of the ballet “La Dame aux camélias” with music by Fryderyk Chopin, followed by a dinner at the historical location.
The next day, Tod’s and Mytheresa will organize a private tour of the Cenacolo Vinciano, to see the famed masterpiece, “The Last Supper” by Leonardo Da Vinci. After, they will stop by the Tod’s boutique in Via Montenapoleone to see the brand’s artisans at work, followed by a lunch at Palazzo Marino. This building, which dates back to the 16th century, is located in the same square opposite La Scala, and has housed the city hall and local administration operations since 1861.
The capsule is the result of “a full brainstorm” between the two teams, as “we always try to create something [that] tells a story,” Kliger told WWD. “This is a cultural event, which totally fits with the commitment of Diego and Andrea [Della Valle, respectively Tod’s Group chairman and vice chairman] to Milan and Italy, to their cultural history, to the cultural artifact and the craftsmanship, so I think it is credible and authentic.”
To be sure, Tod’s is sponsoring the restoration works, which kicked off in April, of Palazzo Marino to the tune of 2.5 million euros and for years it has supported Milan’s contemporary art museum PAC. The group has long been a member of the Teatro alla Scala Foundation, and supported the theater’s productions and helped promote its values globally.
“Having a group of selected guests that come to live an experience that is very special in Milan, which includes the Tod’s lifestyle inserted in the iconic locations of the city that the whole world knows, is for us very important,” said Diego Della Valle. “Our artisans will show our handmade production, and our customers like these experiences very much. They are very important to show what is behind the product and when the product is created in an artisanal way as is Tod’s, it’s a unique experience.”
Tod’s x Mytheresa looks
Kliger said the cultural two-day event will allow customers “to come and to see Milan in a different way, because, yes, it’s a business city, there is the Stock Exchange, there is finance but also culture. And we share the same belief with Diego, that it’s not about just selling a great shoe or a great bag, it’s giving an experience. So then when guests leave after two days, they would say ‘Wow.’”
“We have more or less worked with all the most important global e-commerce operators and Mytheresa is among those that have a very interesting business model and a very strong sense of luxury,” continued Della Valle. “They are capable of doing great business with important volumes while always protecting the integrity of the brands they sell, and this for us is very important.”
Velvet and patent leather take center stage in the collection, which is designed by Tod’s creative director Matteo Tamburini, and which includes a blazer with matching tailored pants in deep burgundy, embellished loafers in crimson, blue and emerald green, and sleek clutches adorned with the signature T Timeless buckle.
The Tod’s x Mytheresa capsule launches within a dedicated editorial story directed by Mytheresa chief creative officer Julian Paul, photographed by Lukasz Pukowiec and modeled by Makenna Cart.
Acknowledging how Tod’s is recognized for its gommino pebble-soled loafers and its comfort, Kliger said the bags segment is increasingly “very strong,” and that the idea was “to bridge La Scala and the gommino, to create more evening looks,” emphasized by the velvet and the tuxedo-like look.
Tod’s x Mytheresa loafers
Prices are in line with Tod’s positioning, as Kliger said Della Valle “believes in luxury but he’s shy about raising prices.”
As reported, this month, Mytheresa is also launching capsule collections with Moncler and Loro Piana, a focus on Italy that Kliger attributed to the strength of Italian luxury brands that make up a large part of the retailer’s portfolio.
Mytheresa has, over the years, continued to offer special capsules to its customers with brands ranging from Givenchy, Pucci and Saint Laurent to Etro, Dries Van Noten and Brunello Cucinelli.
Speaking shortly after revealing that Mytheresa has inked a deal to acquire 100 percent of Yoox Net-a-porter group from Richemont with the ambition of creating a 4 billion euro online force in the luxury fashion space, Kliger said that this is “a fantastic opportunity. First of course, we need to respect that it’s not finished yet. We need the approval and at the moment, we are still deeply separate companies. The logic of what we’re doing is it will change, but only to be even better.”
Mytheresa will continue to have its own buying and marketing “to make a special experience for our type of client.” The same will be for Net-a-porter, he added. “What we can help with is that it will all work much better, more efficiently in logistics and administration, so that all the teams can focus even more on exciting the customer. But we will have two brands, two different curations, because Mytheresa clients are a bit different from Net-a-porter clients.”