This afternoon between rainstorms at Teatro alla Scala in Rodotto Toscanini under the bemused, bronzed bust of Giacomo Puccini, La Scala Intendant Stéphane Lissner and Chairman/Prez of Tod's Diego Della Valle were in high spirits for good reason: the lux, Italian moccasin-maker pledged 5.2 million euros (almost $8 million freedom bux) to back La Scala's cultural and youth initiatives, gaining permanent donor status up there with La Scala's eight current, corporate sponsors.
Tod's initiatives are far from the cultural fringe, having recently poured 25 million euros to help restore Rome's crumbling, pollution-stained Colosseum. Della Valle finds it a moral obligation to support his fellow Italian landmarks and institutions, but mostly it's a positive sign for an opera house that has struggled to find donors in the past.
It's not the first time the two Italian heavyweights have collaborated. Back in September 2010 during Women's Fashion Week, Tod's hosted a Milan cocktail to toast the marriage of Made in Italy luxury with Made in Italy culture. "An Italian Dream" was a 5-minute, tightly-choreographed commercial that featured La Scala's corpo di ballo wearing Tod's new suede (ballet-inspired) shoes. Opera Chic was there!