Tod’s is unquestionably Italian. Rooted in Italian craftsmanship, its luxury footwear is some of the most comfortable in the market. The brand itself has become a barometer for the kind of understated, timeless elegance that the Italians do so well. However, it might surprise you to know that the brand’s beginnings were influenced by a fascination with American culture.

In a 2004 profile piece in The New Yorker, Tod’s Group CEO, Diego Della Valle, spoke about how he grew up with American films and had a love for an American sense of style. During sabbaticals while studying law, Della Valle would work on his family’s shoemaking business, aiming to make Della Valle a household name one day. To better reflect the increasingly international community that the brand began to serve, the family name had to be swapped for one that’s a bit Americanised and, most importantly, easy to pronounce the world over. They settled on “J.P. Tod’s” (part of the lore is that it was picked out of the phone book) before eventually dropping the initials in 1997.

“Kennedy, for my generation, was a dream man. The Kennedys had a good sense of others and of how to live life,” said Della Valle in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. You could say that Della Valle’s perception of the Kennedys aligns with Tod’s as a brand—authentic and elegant—but the admiration runs deeper.

In 1998, Della Valle acquired Marlin, the 1930 yacht previously owned by John F. Kennedy (on which the former US President had been photographed numerous times) at a Christie’s auction. Della Valle restyled it and now keeps it docked at his villa in Capri.

Today, that adulation has materialised into a capsule collection. Tod’s unveiled the Marlin collection inspired, unsurprisingly, by the famous yacht. It’s not literally shaped after the yacht, of course, but rather the spirit of what the Marlin represents. Much like Tod’s and its embodiment of Italian living, the Marlin is seen as an extension of a lifestyle centred on simple pleasures at sea; wading with the slow rhythm of summer.

The Marlin collection—comprising ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories—interprets nautical-inspired style elements with sharp sophistication. The Marlin bomber, for example, is crafted in technical cotton, with its pockets and collar trimmed in Tod’s signature soft nappa leather, while its zipper pull is fashioned from a sailor’s knot. Leather is the unifying detail that has always been a symbol of Tod’s quality craftsmanship. It is also seen in the capsule’s roomy canvas tote bag that is trimmed with leather, and the Greca belt with its all-leather clasp against a white-and- green striped canvas.

Should you need more convincing about this love that Tod’s has for the Kennedys, consider the fact that there is already an icon that was created in the 1980s named after the Kennedys’ yacht. Launched after the invention of the instantly recognisable Gommino, the Marlin loafer is essentially a nautical version of the former, complete with lacing along the collar. Fittingly, the style has been updated for the Marlin collection with a more contemporary slant and the versatility of being more than just a sailing shoe.

The Marlin collection is timeless style meeting timeless style—of an influential figure whose sense of style remains relevant to this day, and of a brand that continues to champion an Italian elegance with an international flair.

The Tod's Marlin collection is now available in boutiques and online.