Tod’s celebrates ‘The Italian Touch’ in Beverly Hills

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In English, the Italian lifestyle can be summed up in three “Fs”: food, family and fashion. On Tuesday (Nov. 10), Tod’s and Vogue magazine hosted a book party for Tod’s “The Italian Touch,” by inviting local celebrities and socialites to bring the kiddies for mini-pizzas, chocolate milk and cupcakes.

Guests included Debra Messing, Mandy Moore, Camila Alves, Sofia Vergara, Nicky Hilton and Angie Harmon, along with hosts Jamie Tisch, Crystal Lourd, Brooke Davenport, Alexandra Kimball and stylist Jeanne Yang.

The Beverly Hills fete was the finale for the book tour that started in the New York Tod’s flagship then hit Dallas, Chicago, Miami and South Coast Plaza. ‘Italian Touch’ retails in the boutique for $95.

Upstairs, the Tod’s boutique was converted into a country greenhouse where Sunday-best dressed children could plant organic herbs in pots.

Famed fashion photographer Roxanne Lowit took stylized black-and-white family portraits, which were quickly printed, cropped and handed out to guests.

Debra Messing, clad in head-to-toe Alaia save for a Tod’s bracelet and bag, advised that if you incorporate something Italian in your wardrobe: ”you’re raising your chic quotient 40%.” The actress added she’s jetting off to Zimbabwe on Dec. 3 for a humanitarian and training mission as an ambassador for YouthAIDS. ‘I’ll be out in the field,’ she said. (A portion of sale proceeds from the Tod’s event went to YouthAIDS).

Tod’s General Manager Claudio Castiglioni said he flew in from Milan for 24 hours to promote the ‘Italian Touch’ coffee-table tome in Beverly Hills. ‘The 130 families and couples in the book --- they are our clients, both aristocratic and professional people. We asked them if we could go in their home and take pictures the way they are sincerely with no makeup artist, no stylists.

‘We travel around the world, especially to Asia, and talk about Italian style,’ he said. ‘When we show the pictures from the book, they understand what Tod’s aspires to be with sunglasses, shoes, bags.’

What about L.A. style?

‘When I come to Los Angeles, I like to see the people -- they are more casual than other cities,” said Castiglioni.

-- Max Padilla