Born to a family of Italian shoemakers, Diego Della Valle launched his own leather-goods empire in the 1970s with an elegant driving moccasin that became an instant classic. Three decades later his Tod's group (which also includes the Hogan brand) generates $719 million a year in sales. Though his stores now stretch from Geneva to Seoul, Della Valle keeps production close to home: Tod's largest factory is located in his birthplace, Casette d'Ete.
Photographed arriving in Casette d'ete, Italy