Tod’s creative director Matteo Tamburini has stepped down, the company announced on Tuesday, leaving yet another designer vacancy at the helm of a luxury house. A successor has not yet been named.
“I would like to thank Matteo for his creative and professional contribution throughout his tenure, for his commitment and for the work carried out in close collaboration with the company’s teams. I wish Matteo every success in his future professional endeavours,” group chair and CEO Diego Della Valle said in a statement.
Tamburini joined Tod’s in December 2023 and showed his first collection for the brand in February for Fall/Winter 2024, which was recognized for its attention to house codes. His SS27 collection, shown in Milan in September, was his last for the brand.
Tamburini joined the brand from Bottega Veneta, where he was the head designer for ready-to-wear. Prior to Bottega, the designer worked at brands including Emilio Pucci and Schiaparelli.
Tod’s Group has been having a tough go in recent years. Before delisting in May 2024 through a deal with private equity firm L Catterton, the company’s last public earnings were looking up: revenues at Tod’s Group were up 11.9% year-on-year to €1.13 billion in 2023, driven by a strong performance in China, as well as the retail channel. Sales at the Tod’s brand rose 10.4%. But since going private, the macroeconomic environment has become more challenging, and demand in China has softened further.
In a release shared by Tod’s Group, which owns Tod’s, Hogan and Roger Vivier, the company said that the exit is in line with its decision to “embark on a strategic direction aimed at more decisively communicating the brand’s values, the distinctive character of its codes, and the artisanal quality of its products, as well as the Italian lifestyle”.
“My experience at Tod’s has been an important chapter in my professional journey and an opportunity to bring my creative vision to the brand. I am proud of what we have achieved together and grateful to the Della Valle family for the opportunity they have given me,” Tamburini said in a statement. “Above all, I would like to thank the talented people I have had the pleasure of working with, whose passion and dedication have made this experience so meaningful. I conclude this chapter with deep respect for the work we have accomplished and for the people who made it possible.”
