Weaving Wicker into Luxury Bags and Shoes

Around the time Romualdo Dori was conceptualizing his retail brand Rodo, he was fascinated by the woven wicker baskets people used in the markets of Florence, Italy.

- By CECILE J. BALTASAR

The wicker was too pretty to use for just fruits and vegetables, Romualdo thought. So in 1956, he launched Rodo and began a style revolution that incorporated woven wicker into luxury handbags and shoes.

To create his world-class wicker products, Romualdo developed a process that would ensure exclusivity and high value. He dyed the wicker, wove it, sprayed it with lacquer, incorporated it into the shoes and bags, then embellished the final products with metal accessories.

"Wicker is in our DNA," says Rodo CEO and owner Gianni Dori, the eldest child of Romualdo. "Four years ago, we put up a weaving school in our headquarters. We use this to train all the young people who are working for Rodo so they can continue the tradition of weaving."