DUBAI: Model Mona Tougaard starred in Italian luxury house Tod’s latest “Italian Stories” campaign film.
The 32-second film was shot at a villa with a pale yellow front, green shutters and a curved pool set into the lawn. It switched between color and black-and-white footage, opening on the brand’s logo and closing on four people walking away under trees.
Tougaard, who is of Danish, Turkish, Somali and Ethiopian descent, appeared early in the film in a camel cotton trench coat built in two layers, a short, wide-shouldered cape section buttoned over a longer belted coat, with the belt knotted at the waist. She wore it over a cream shirt with chocolate brown leather trousers and knee-high brown leather boots, and carried a black leather tote with burnished tobacco trim, a gold buckle strap and the house’s name spelled out in gold block letters across the front.
A later scene showed her indoors in a mustard knit sweater layered over a pale blue shirt with a rounded collar, her hair worn loose. She was also shown in black and white, walking past the shuttered villa in the same trench coat.
The film featured three other models besides Tougaard, two of them were men showcasing the menswear collection. The pieces included brown suede lace-ups, suede sneakers and black leather loafers finished with the label’s rubber pebble soles. Accessories appeared in close-up, among them gold-framed aviator sunglasses and the tan grained-leather Di Bag, set on a red table beside the collie.
“Italian Stories” is the campaign platform the brand has used for several seasons, built around scenes of Italian family and country life. The house is led by creative director Matteo Tamburini.
Tougaard was scouted at the age of 12 and began modeling after winning Elite Model Look Denmark at 15. She opened her career as a Prada exclusive in 2019 and has since walked for houses including Dior, Versace and Saint Laurent, as well as Schiaparelli, Mugler and Alberta Ferretti. She was nominated for Model of the Year at the 2024 Fashion Awards and has appeared on the covers of British Vogue and Vogue Italia.
She has appeared in a Tod’s campaign before, fronting the label’s pre-fall offering in a previous season. She also appeared in Chanel’s revived Coco Crush jewelry campaign, which was staged at Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont.
