For Spring/Summer 2025, Rodo reimagines its iconic wicker bags.
Probably not the most faithful Shakespearean reference, but with Rodo’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection rekindling our love for woven bags, the pun borrowed from Macbeth’s second of three witches felt too perfect to resist. After all, it’s summer—and what better time to be playful?
Imagine this: It’s the top of Act 4 and Macbeth is about to enter the scene. Stirring the cauldron, the witch says, “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.” Except, this time, it’s a warm summer day under cloudless skies, and she’s carrying a lovely blue wicker bag and wearing slingbacks with impossibly chunky heels made from wicker. (Wicker, by the way, refers to the weaving technique rather than the material used—it could be seagrass, willow, rattan or bamboo.)
Now enter Rodo in Manila as it celebrates the return of its iconic wicker creations—now reimagined with sculptural silhouettes, natural dyes, and a healthy dose of Italian flair. Long known for weaving tradition into every stitch, Rodo carries its legacy forward with a collection that blends heritage craftsmanship and contemporary charm as effortlessly as a Mediterranean breeze.
Rodo CEO Gianni Dori was in town recently to launch his brand’s pop-up at Rustan’s Makati, a nod to Rodo’s expanding presence in Asia, and to present Rodo’s Spring/Summer collection.
At the heart of the new collection is the Paris bag, a longtime favorite, now reissued in both large and small versions. New companions join the lineup: softly structured shoulder bags in varied sizes designed with stylish travelers in mind. Across the collection, natural wicker is paired with fabrics, and hues that echo the warmth of a Mediterranean summer.
Rodo also pushes its material mastery further this season by exploring plant-based dyeing techniques. Drawing color from flowers, leaves, roots, and even medicinal plants, wicker is tinted in soft shades of coral, mimosa, khaki, and blue. This exploration in natural color not only brings out the earthy elegance of the material but underscores the brand’s commitment to responsible innovation.
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Wicker, reimagined
Rodo’s wicker artistry extends to its footwear. This season’s slingbacks and sandals are anything but understated. Strass-embellished cages, pearlescent mesh, and intricate crystal braids adorn styles that blend opulence with craftsmanship. Toe pieces, plates, and even the block and cone heels are shaped in wicker—transforming each pair into a wearable sculpture.
In contrast to the delicate textures of linen and leather, some pieces in the collection play with structure and strength: geometric studs and metallic eyelets appear on shoulder bags and flats, lending a sense of edge to Rodo’s famously romantic aesthetic.
From Mogliano to Manila
Founded in Florence in 1956 by Romualdo Dori—whose initials gave birth to the name Rodo—the brand has long stood for heritage craftsmanship. It was Dori’s passion for wickerwork that led him to relocate the business to Mogliano, in Italy’s Marche region, an area known for its weaving excellence. By 1961, Rodo was producing not only wicker handbags but also leather goods, all finished with custom metal hardware crafted in its own workshop—a rarity then, and even now.
Rodo’s legacy deepened in the 1970s when Romualdo’s sons, Gianni and Maurizio, joined the company, introducing crochet and metal bags, and eventually launching a full footwear line. Today, the brand continues to flourish under the stewardship of the third generation, with Martina, Giorgio, and Lorenzo—each bringing a fresh sensibility to design, direction, and commerce while staying rooted in Rodo’s DNA of quality and craft.
Now available in style capitals from Milan to Jakarta, and used by iconic celebrities the world over, Rodo continues to grow its global footprint. With standalone boutiques in Milan, Dubai, Singapore, Beijing and a pop-up at Rustan’s, Rodo proves that a brand built on heritage can stylishly evolve with the times.
Rodo is available at Rustan’s Department Store.
