This week in Milan, Tod’s introduced a project created in collaboration with the renowned photographer Tim Walker. Entitled “The Art of Craftsmanship” and presented at Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo Da Vinci’s Cavallerizze through tomorrow, it celebrates Italian heritage and the importance of elevating craftsmanship in an age where it is often replaced by quickly-made, disposable alternatives. For the project, Walker conceived a series of photographs and videos featuring iconic Tod’s designs, touched by a bit of fun and irony.
“Italian lifestyle and exceptional craftsmanship are core values for Tod’s and having them interpreted by Tim Walker allows us to convey these values also to the young generations, speaking their language,” said Diego Della Valle, President and CEO of Tod’s Group.
“The Art of Craftsmanship,” courtesy of Tod’s and Tim Walker.
At the heart of the series, Walker was inspired by essential tools from Tod’s shoe-crafting process—like leather-working necessities including scissors, brushes, hammers, needles, and thread—and imagined them in larger-than-life sizes. Alongside beloved brand staples, like the Di bag and the Gommino loafer, these objects were then photographed in a clever manner, and showcasing their human counterparts in minuscule proportions. Miniature figures were seen perched upon, interacting with, and even playfully terrorized by the giant stylish objects.
“The Art of Craftsmanship,” courtesy of Tod’s and Tim Walker.
Through imagery—like a woman whose torso is restricted by a giant spool of thread and a Tod’s-clad man being flattened by a loafer—Walker created captivating imagery that underscores the brand’s ethos and dedication to keeping alive generational techniques and traditions.
Also included in the series are shots like a paper doll figure being cut by scissors, a lighthearted scene of limbs and tools protruding from the holes of a peg board, and a portrait reminding us of Edward Scissor Hands, though the subject’s leather gloved hand features a different tool on every finger.
“In this increasingly digital world, where so much is being created on an industrial scale by machines, the value of craftsmanship is increasingly precious,” said Walker. “The people I met in the company and their experience were the real source of inspiration.”
“The Art of Craftsmanship,” courtesy of Tod’s and Tim Walker.
“The Art of Craftsmanship,” courtesy of Tod’s and Tim Walker.
