Diego Della Valle: Finding Bridges For Italy'S Dream

Not long ago, Italy's famous shoes and handbag brands.

Tod 's 2011 spring and summer shoes series

Diego della Valle was born in 1953. He grew up in a traditional craftsman family in Italy. His grandfather and father have been elaborately making shoes in the handicraft workshop of Italy's traditional shoe center, Markey area for decades.

At first, he studied law at the University of Bologna in Italy. After a brief working experience in the United States, he joined his father's family business in 1975.

In the first few years, he gained a lot of knowledge about production techniques. Besides, he embarked on developing an innovative market plan and took the lead role in the brand innovation and overall strategic plan of the group.

In November 2000, Diego della Valechin was listed in Milan for Tod's president and chief executive officer of s group.

By the end of last year, he had owned 20% of Sax's department store and became the largest shareholder.

Q: have you always been looking forward to becoming a fashion industry? What are your ambitions when you were a kid?

Diego della Valle (hereinafter referred to as answer): This is not the case.

I used to run in my family business.

Q: what do you think you will be doing if you fail to set up Tod s group?

Answer: I am sure I will build some other brand.

My other business interests include investment newspapers, football clubs and other companies, including the famous Italy motorcycle manufacturer Vespa.

In all cases, I will be attracted by the story behind a Italy brand.

Q: when you set up Tod s company, did you ever think that it would develop so much?

A: I had this hope at that time, but I didn't know what I would get.

At the very beginning, I wanted to create a brand new leather shoes that could combine the relaxed and casual spirit of the United States with the manufacturing techniques and traditions of Italy.

I am more concerned about building a great product type, not just a specific economic goal.

Q: what's the best decision you've made for the company? What's the worst?

A: the best thing is to stick to a very special philosophy, that is, always pursue the exquisite and low-key luxury, as well as the impeccable taste and excellent quality. This is the aesthetic standard we have to show in the product.

In areas where we are not good at it, we do not blindly expand.

The worst decision is known to me and my chief financial officer, and to others, they are guessing.

Q: Tod s is doing a lot of charities. Why is this so important to you?

A: because when we succeed, it is right to give to those who are not so lucky.

In Italy, the concept of family is very strong, and there are such principles in social responsibility.

In a sense, we are all family.

Q: what is the best for you to evaluate the world? What's the worst?

A: the best thing to say is that I am an excellent Italian. In other words, some of the cultural values I have promoted are cherished by our country, such as tradition, quality, craft and pride in our work and favorite things.

Worst of all, I recently thought about getting involved in Italy politics.

Q: how do you want to be remembered for yourself? {page_break}

A: I hope people will remember that I am a good father and a fair boss.

Of course, it is also an excellent host.

Q: what is the fashion house you admire?

Answer: Chanel (Chanel) and Hermes, like Tod s, produce beautiful products that are beyond the pure fashion stage.

Q: what do you think of the LVMH group's stake in Hermes?

A: as a member of the board of directors of LVMH group, you know I can't comment on this.

Q: what do you plan to do after holding Sax department store?

A: I plan to enjoy it.

I bought shares in Sax department store as a personal investment, because when I was young, I went to the United States for the first time, and for me, Sax was like a retail cathedral.

I never thought that one day I would become a part of it, but now I am.

Sax department store has a very good management team, which will ensure the company's good development potential.

Q: you have a wonderful life, beautiful houses, speedboats, private planes, and so on. How do you feel about having everything?

Answer: I am not complacent.

You can always do better and more.

Finally, it is precisely this requirement that keeps me developing and learning.

Q: people know that you collect works of art and antique cars. What are you most proud of?

Answer: Marlin, a yacht formerly owned by Kennedy.

I bought it at auction several years ago, and it still brought me great joy.

"Finding bridges for Italy's dream"

Editor's note: in order to celebrate the cooperation between Tod s group and Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Diego della Valle, President of Tod 's group, held the "Italy dream" art video private dinner and China premiere in October 22, 2010 in the 751 big cans of Beijing 798 Art Center in October 22, 2010.

On this occasion, Diego della Valle delivered the following speech.

Once again, I came to Beijing, China, like I used to go to Beijing every time before. I was shocked by how fast things changed in China.

I remember that there used to be bicycles everywhere in China. Every year, I saw China changing into a driving force for modernization.

But what attracts the most is how China balances the old and new.

In Beijing, you can enjoy the latest Olympic wonders - bird's Nest stadium and water cube, but you can also see the spectacular fifteenth Century Forbidden City and Tiantan.

I am not familiar with this balance.

It is very Italian and is also the foundation for Tod s.

This is the combination of tradition and innovation in my father and grandfather's leather industry and the new designs and products I have to move forward to develop modern life.

The blending of tradition and modernity has also become the central idea of our recent collaboration with Teatro alla Scala (the famous theatre in Milan, the spiritual home of Italy opera and ballet).

I've been looking for a way to express my hometown's Tod s.

This unique quality of Italy can be found in culture, passion, craftsman skills, quality of goods and life.

Italians have a real love for the best things in life, and these things need to be realized through care, concern and real love.

Yes, Tod s produces shoes and bags, but the brand uses leather, and leather is a kind of life for me.

Each pair of shoes and every bag are attractive, practical, and very comfortable to carry and wear. This is the spirit of Italy and the dream of Italy.

But how can this be explained? How can this idea be brought to life? When someone buys Tod 's slippers, can they understand that they are not only buying double slippers? Because great design and high quality are very important, but this is not the whole part of life.

For me, how to make people understand this is very important.

The answer came back to me when I recall the feeling of 40 years ago. It was the first time I walked into Teatro alla Scala in Milan. I was very young. All the red velvet, gold and circular terrace were incredibly impressive.

When the lights went down, there was a real atmosphere. It was like a dream.

So I began to think about the integration of Teatro alla Scala and how it can integrate the three cultures of Italy, Italy and Italy.

But then comes the challenge of connecting a luxury fashion company with a cultural legend that existed in 1778.

The final solution is very simple.

After talking through the two sides, we found that we share the same desire. We are all passionate Italian people and are committed to maintaining technology and tradition. This is also the center of Tod s culture and the unique concept of "made in Italy".

Later, he got the help of talented director Matthias Zentner, directing the movie "Italy dream", and let the brand think about how to put the spirit of human endeavor we shared into the company.

Matthias Zentner works with Gianluca Schiavoni, a young dance instructor in Teatro alla Scala, to create this work.

In this work, 13 dancers perform in the theater to explain the multiple stages of Tod 's leather making.

The film premiered in the fashion week of Milan in September, and the reaction was excellent.

Many people are surprised, because this is not an advertisement, but a great creative work.

This is designed by Tod s and Teatro alla Scala, which has never been collaborated with any brand before.

We have expressed a common vision of "making Italy" in a conceptual way.

In October 2010, the dream of Italy was premiered in the 798 Art District of Beijing.

We pformed a huge circular pool into a small part of Milan, projected the gorgeous balcony of the Teatro alla Scala onto the metal wall, and hung the red velvet curtain from the top to the bottom to form a stage.

We have invited many celebrities from all over the world, as well as some friends from the US and Europe, such as Oscar prize winning actor Marisa Tomei and model DJ Alice Dellal.

At the end of the show, there was an unexpected surprise: a new dance, dance instructor Gianluca Schiavoni was specially designed by a major ballet dancer from Teatro alla Scala.

I admit that I was moved by this work.

For Tod 's, China is a brand new market. Of course we have to win in business, but I believe that blind expansion is not the result we want in the short term, but to explain the true meaning of our brand to the Chinese people is the main purpose.

This is not just what I want to do in China, but it is done all over the world.

Tod 's customers, regardless of their nationality, want the best things in life.

Through this collaboration with Teatro alla Scala, I finally felt that I had found a bridge for what I wanted to express the real nature of what they had done.

This is a realization of my dream in Italy.