Tod’s creative director Walter Chiapponi arrived to the preview of his pre-fall collection in Milan straight from the airport. A visit to Recent York left him jet-legged but upbeat as he was impressed by the brand new energy he witnessed Stateside, one breezing a distinct attitude and more subdued approach to fashion that signaled the maximalist days are to be left behind as the brand new 12 months kicks off.

That’s excellent news for a designer who has proven to be keen to push a more understated tackle luxury and to reinvent the high-end lifestyle Tod’s stands for with nonchalance and a practical sense of ease.

In doing so, Chiapponi uses pre-collections as a laboratory to research the multiple uses of wardrobe staples, this time focusing mainly on the trenchcoat.

On this concise, urban-chic lineup, he manipulated the codes of the style to conjure different looks: He shortened a trenchcoat to supply a new edition of a bomber jacket; multiplied pockets and added a drawstring on the waist to get a elegant rendition of a safari jacket; cropped it to craft a functional skirt cinched by a logoed belt in contrasting color, or just kept the design in its pure lines in a light-weight taupe option.

“The concept is to have one single message and repeat it over and once more,” Chiapponi said. The designer added rubberized effects via fisherman coats in burgundy or electric blue hues, and introduced mannish tailoring reworked in body-con proportions, including blazer jackets fitted to the feminine body and tucked in matching pants.

Imagining rainy days in a city, Chiapponi also exalted Tod’s craftsmanship via chunky boots, which added to ‘70s-inspired moccasins with a squared toe and the T-Case bag. Developed from a single piece of leather, the bag was folded in a soft, geometric shape, conveying the identical unfussy appeal that Chiapponi infused into this wearable collection.