Tod's sees sales soar

Italian luxury group Tod's announced it saw its sales grow 8% in the quarter to March 31st. The company reported €263.2m in sales with each of its portfolio's brands, which also includes Hogan, Fay and shoe designer Roger Vivier, performing well.

Tod's continued to be the driving force, citing €137.5m in Q1, a double digit increase of 13.4%. It's advertising campaign with actress Gwyneth Paltrow proved to be a huge marketing hit, drawing in new customers and resonating globally.

The group's chief executive, Diego Della Valle, last week announced he was relaunching the Schiaparelli brand in the next three seasons. The revival comes hot on the heels after the Prada and Schiaparelli event at the annual New York Met Ball last week.

The company stated Asia and the emerging markets were the fastest growing regions, citing a 48.7% increase to €61.1m on a like-for-like basis.

Dorino Della Valle started Tod's shoemaking business out of a basement in the late 1920s. Diego Della Valle, Dorino's elder son, expanded the workshop and turned it into a factory that started manufacturing shoes for American department stores in the 1970s.

Diego brought in innovative marketing strategies in the early 1980s, kept the handmade manufacturing process and went on to create brands of lifestyle named Tod's, Hogan and Fay.

Image: Tod's campaign