Making his fresh debut at the Tod’s with the womenswear FW24 collection, Matteo Tamburini is hailed as a charismatic Italian designer who combines tradition and modernity with his expertise in craftsmanship, especially in leather garments. Sharing the same goal and concept with Tod’s, minimalism and elegance are the definition of his design ethos, personality. Sona Fong reports
- Being an Italian, like the house
Born in Pesaro in Central Italy, Tamburini’s frequent visit to his family-run theatrical costume atelier has ignited his interest in figurative art and design. The aesthetic has been influential in his whole career to represent exquisiteness and refinement of Italian artisanship.
- The Head Designer of Bottega Veneta
In 2017, Tamburini joined Bottega Veneta, an Italian luxury fashion house, as the head of the House’s outerwear, leather garments, men’s and women’s tailoring in Milan. During his time at Bottega Veneta, he has worked with legends like Daniel Lee and Matthieu Blazy, Creative Director of Burberry and Chanel respectively.
- Natural calling from Tod’s
In December 2023, Tamburini was announced as the new Creative Director of Tod’s, the Italian fashion label, after Walter Chiapponi. He debuted with the Fall-Winter 2024/25 womenswear collection, hoping to respect the brand’s legacy and values as well as bringing the House a new energy with his skills.
- A designer, or should I say…a storyteller
Tamburini’s creations are not just visually attractive, but also carry a sense of history, artistry and emotional resonance, giving depth to works of his. His collections always carry with a story — for instance, the FW24 womenswear collection tells the story of Milan with the city’s urban dynamism and duality.
- Doesn’t design for a specific market
Tamburini is well-known for his bold stance in the fashion industry as he rejects the concept of designing differently for different markets. He believes that the beauty of design is to make creations that people across different cultures can all relate to the work.
- Contemporary vision of high-quality and refined craftsmanship just like Tod’s
“Keeping an eye on the past, and at the same time trying to build something new,” which perfectly describes Tod’s and their Creative Director. Tamburini mentioned that he is deeply connected to the House due to their common determination in pursuing retrospective yet innovative aesthetics. Authentic luxury, timeless elegance, an Italian attitude shared by Tamburini and Tod’s.
- Take things slow
Fashion, as we all know, is an industry of lightning-fast speed. However, Tamburini is fond of a slower pace to dedicate and focus on his work meticulously. From his vision for himself and Tod’s, quality always outweighs quantity.
- Pragmatic designer as well
In an age of social media where a majority of designers are pressured to create clickbait-prone moments, Tamburini takes a rather opposite direction. To him, he wants his designs to reflect a “straight to point” approach, a wardrobe of everyday-wearables. You would find his aesthetic to be subtle, effortless, with a preference for a muted palette.
- Mesmerised by Milan and its culture
Apart from the FW24 collection, Tamburini has expressed his fascination with Milan and Tod’s showplace in the heart of the city during the FW25 show. The place’s heritage represents postwar rationalism while its reconstruction resembles the idea of resilience to him. Personally, he visits the place for its story and culture besides the glamorous fashion shows.
- The ambition to connect the world by fashion
Communicating with everyone around the world through the language of fashion has been a conceptional compass for Tamburini as a designer. Regarding his plan for the future of Tod’s, he hopes the sophistication can help the brand to gain global recognition as elegance is a global language.
