Is putting on a fashion show like riding a bike? Is it the sort of thing that, once you’ve got the hang of it, comes back naturally after stepping away from it for a while?
“Not when you suddenly go from riding a bike to the park to getting into the Tour de France,” Todd Snyder tells me backstage at Stazione Leopolda in Florence, Italy, a cavernous event space that, in a few hours, will be the home of his first fashion show in four years.
The sense of occasion is palpable. See, Synder is here with Pitti Uomo, the influential fashion trade show. He first pitched himself to the powers that be eight years ago, so this is a long time coming. And even if it weren’t for the long road to this moment, this is the American designer’s first European show—and that’s a huge deal. In New York, where Snyder is based, opting out of the fashion-show ecosystem has become the norm for a strain of cool-kid brands that want to do their own thing. But here in Italy, with a huge show to kick off the proceedings at Pitti, all eyes are on Snyder. And he knows it.
“It was an ‘Oh, shit,’ moment,” he says of receiving the invitation to come to Florence. “Knowing I was going to be showing at Pitti, I knew I really had to step it up.” So he and the rest of the TS team set about creating the brand’s biggest collection yet and getting ready to show it to the world. Snyder admits the prospect was at once “a dream come true” and, on the other hand, “daunting.”
“But I decided to step back into it because this inspires me,” he continues. “Being a designer and being able to really show what I can do. That's why I do it. I was a little rusty, but I have to say, I came out swinging. I never worked harder on a collection in my life.”
Later that evening, the fruits of his labor were apparent on the runway. The show was a two-act affair, starting off with 30 looks from the new Woolrich Black Label, of which Snyder is creative director. An upscale take on the two-century-old outdoor brand’s deep heritage, the lineup included everything from a cashmere chamois shirt and ultramodern duck boots to tech-y parkas and even washed-down, softened-up take on the iconic buffalo plaid hunting jacket.
“What we’re doing is just asking, ‘What are those utilitarian pieces that everybody thinks about when you think about the great outdoors?” Snyder says. “And then, how do you inject modernity and luxury so it’s always a balance between luxe and utility?” As the models rolled down the runway and energetic hip-hop blared from the speakers, it was clear that Snyder and his crew have no problem walking that particular line.
Then it was time for act two. The opening strains of New Order’s “Ceremony” echoed through the space as a model wearing a voluminous herringbone topcoat, matching trousers, and a simple white tank appeared. The autumn/winter 2024 Todd Snyder collection is called the Modernist, and Snyder describes it as a coming-together of all the things that have inspired him in the last 13 years of running his own label. Art and architecture. Travel and music. Fabrics from Italy. Food. “Anything I do that influences and informs me,” he says.
In practice, that translates to a kind of mashup approach to product and styling that’s become a hallmark of Snyder’s output, especially in the last couple of years, as he’s expanded his own retail footprint, stopped designing for anticipated customers in major department stores, and “got a lot more comfortable in just being who I am.” Military influences blend with traditional tailoring. Outdoorsy vibes—there are a few pieces that could easily make the jump from the Todd Snyder mainline to Woolrich Black Label, and vice versa—clash with luxurious materials and pieces that feel destined for a black-tie gala. Unabashed youthfulness sits right next to unapologetic grandpa-ness.
In the wrong hands, it could be a mess. But in Snyder’s, the effect is something along the lines of alchemy—everything transforms into one cohesive whole. As I’m watching it, I’m wondering whether it’s the venue, the clothes themselves, the New Order (and later Joy Division) on the sound system, or some combination of the three that’s giving me the impression that many of these guys have a bit of post-punk edge to them. A model in a shaggy, rose-motif cardigan and charcoal trousers looks he could be in the audience or the band. Another—camel topcoat, silk bandana tie just so around the neck—fits the same bill.
But the thing is, they’re not bound to a certain era or subculture. Drop either of those guys into a quiet coffee shop or wine bar in 2024, and they’ll still look perfectly at home. Same goes for the folks in loose, louche suits and jackets that could time travel between the ‘80s and today. And while some of the fancier looks—“I’ve always done really well with my tailoring, but also formal, so I wanted to make sure that I really had a big expression of it,” Snyder says—are better saved for big parties and red carpets, they manage to feel both out of time and entirely relevant right now.
Later, once the house lights have gone up, I catch up with Snyder. The mood in the room is celebratory and Snyder seems to be feeling similarly. But now, after four long years, there’s also a look of relief on his face. So, how is he feeling now that the main event has passed?
“Thank God,” he says. “Honestly, this has been the longest I've ever worked on in one collection. And having my own collection with 50 looks plus 31 Woolrich Black Label, it's a lot. 81 looks is probably…I don't know if I'll ever do that again. But it was great.”
