“Italians do it better.” The age-old adage rang true last night at Tod’s Madison Avenue boutique, where guests gathered to fête the release of Italian Hands—a new 286-page tome celebrating Italy’s most cherished export: craftsmanship. The book, out today, was celebrated in fitting fashion—with peach bellinis, arancini, and a dashing cobbler stitching a pair of suede driving shoes by hand.

Clutching an early copy was Tod’s Group CEO Diego Della Valle, whose nephew, Matteo Procaccioli Della Valle, served as the book’s creative director. While the Tod’s logo graces the cover, not a single branded product appears inside. Instead, Italian Hands showcases portraits of artisans and evocative vignettes of their trades—many of which feel delightfully plucked from another time.

Among the standout profiles: Manuela Cattaneo, the architect behind the 12-room Palazzo Durazzo hotel in Genoa; winemaking siblings Carlo and Leonia Frescobaldi; and a roster of creatives with illustrious surnames—ceramist Lola Schnabel, jeweler Madina Visconti, and designer Margherita Missoni, to name a few. Landscaper Marco Bay even tips his hat to his favorite local artisan: Pippo the fishmonger in Santa Margherita.

Inside the boutique, guests including Penn Badgley, Katie Holmes, Rachel Brosnahan, Andrew Scott, Dylan Efron, and Christian Slater mingled over polenta cakes topped with baccalà and admired a makeshift workshop where the iconic Tod’s Gommino loafer came to life before their eyes.

“What is this?” one guest asked, delicately balancing a canapé while minding the hem of her suede trench. The answer, much like the book itself: a little taste of Italy, handmade and heartfelt.