The Texan designer leaves the fashion world after almost 20 years at the top among successes, iconic clothes and trends
Tom Ford is one of the most famous names in the fashion world. The Tom Ford brand is known for its elegance, luxury and iconic style. Founded by American designer Tom Ford in 2005, the fashion house quickly gained a reputation for its sophisticated and innovative style, as well as its attention to detail and quality. Tom Ford was born in Texas in 1961. After studying art and architecture at the Parsons School of Design in New York, Ford began his career in the fashion world working for some of the most important fashion houses of the time, including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. In 1990, he became the creative director of Gucci. The brand was in financial and image difficulties, and Ford took creative control of the Italian fashion house. Within a few years, Gucci became one of the most famous and lucrative fashion houses in the world, and much of this success was due to Tom Ford’s influence. Tom Ford brought a new style and vision to Gucci’s fashion. He created sexy, bold and seductive clothes that caught the attention of many celebrities and style icons. His style became instantly recognisable, thanks to his use of high quality materials, bold colours and innovative cuts. His fashion collections were highly anticipated and critically acclaimed. His innovative and bold style quickly gained the attention of the fashion industry and consumers worldwide. In 2005, after leaving Gucci, Ford founded his own fashion house, Tom Ford. His first shop, which opened in New York in 2007, was a great success, offering a selection of men’s and women’s clothing, sunglasses and luxury accessories. The Tom Ford brand quickly became synonymous with elegance, sophistication and high-end style. One of the hallmarks of the Tom Ford brand is its attention to detail and quality. The fabrics used for the garments are of the highest quality and the finishes are taken care of down to the smallest detail. In addition, the brand also offers a range of high-quality beauty products, including perfumes, cosmetics and skin care products. The Tom Ford brand is also known for its distinctive and bold style. The brand’s clothes often feature clean, minimalist lines, but with unique and striking details. For example, Tom Ford’s famous white dinner jacket, worn by Daniel Craig in the James Bond films, is a classic garment but with a modern twist thanks to its sleek lines and black collar. Over the years, the Tom Ford brand has expanded beyond the world of luxury clothing to include a wide range of products. In 2009, the brand launched its first collection of prescription glasses and sunglasses, which quickly became a must-have. Tom Ford was also one of the first designers to introduce the fashion concept ‘see now, buy now’. This concept allowed customers to buy the products presented at fashion shows directly, without having to wait months for the products to arrive in shops. This revolutionised the fashion world, and many other brands followed Tom Ford’s example. And now, after almost 20 years of success, Tom Ford is saying goodbye to the fashion world. The Texan designer has in fact unveiled in a video what represents his latest collection for the eponymous brand, celebrating the Tom Ford archive or a re-edition of his favourite looks. The video was directed by the well-known photographer Steven Klein and stars famous supermodels such as Amber Valletta, Karen Elson, Caroline Trentini, Joan Smalls and Karlie Kloss. Tom Ford plays a stage manager busy managing his models as they parade around in giant showcases. The Tom Ford archive is full of iconic gowns but within this latest collection for autumn/winter 2023-24, dresses such as the one worn by Gwyneth Paltrow at the Oscars in 2012, the sequined jersey minidress worn by Beyoncé on the ‘Mrs. Carter World Tour’, and the fuchsia metallic chrome bustier and matching skirt look chosen by Zendaya on the red carpet of the Critics Choice Awards in 2020 cannot go unnoticed. The Estée Lauder group, which already owns brands such as Clinique, La Mer and Aveda, made the acquisition of Tom Ford official in November for $2.8 billion. Zegna, which has held the Tom Ford menswear licence since 2006, will take over men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, accessories, underwear, jewellery, childrenswear, textiles and homewear, while Marcolin, which has held the Tom Ford eyewear licence since 2005, will continue to handle this sector. What can we say, we at Michele Franzese Moda can only celebrate the Tom Ford archive and be grateful for the contribution he made both as a designer and as a brand to the fashion world and wish him the best in whatever destiny he chooses outside the fashion world. Bye Tom, see you soon and thank you. Don’t miss the best of the Tom Ford selection on Michele Franzese Moda.
