1. The man
who loves
women
From his relationships with Hollywood A-listers to his passion for filmmaking
and the refined luxe of his Rodeo Drive boutique, Tom Ford excels at
seducing Los Angeles. Here, he talks about his sensible approach to life,
business, and a sizzling wardrobe.
by laurie brookins
photagraph by simon perry
B
y now the tale has taken on somewhat says. Thus you arrive at the dichotomy of Tom Ford,
mythic proportions. Then again, if one designer of clothes that effortlessly straddle the duality of
were to craft the script of Tom Ford’s life, a artful luxury and sexually charged energy, and dream-
climactic moment most assuredly would maker of luscious campaigns, sizzling magazine covers,
be the September 2010 and a once hungrily anticipated feature
launch of his womens- Ford with film, 2009’s A Single Man, which gar-
actress Rita
wear label, an event that was equal parts Wilson at nered both high critical praise and a
high-wattage Hollywood and hush- the opening healthy roster of nominations.
of his
hush secrecy. Beverly Hills Arguably the most coveted designer
Only 100 invitees watched (photog- store earlier working today, Ford might have any-
this year.
raphy was strictly prohibited) as thing for the asking, and yet what he
celebrities including Beyoncé and seeks is the private, personal attention
Julianne Moore walked not a red carpet and elegance of fashion’s bygone days.
on this New York night, but a dove-gray “He understands glamour and
runway, each wearing Ford’s vision of “a doesn’t apologize for it,” says actress
small capsule collection, shown on the Rita Wilson, who walked that initial
women I find most inspirational,” he show in a curve-hugging gown of appli-
says. The clothes exquisitely befit each quéd black velvet. “He understands
wearer, from a leopard-print gown on what women want to feel like—that the
Daphne Guinness to a white tuxedo on clothes on a woman’s body must match
Lauren Hutton. After six years of the the feeling of the mood he is creating for
“When will he?” questions his client, so when you put on
arising every season since “He understands one of his pieces, you are trans-
Ford’s 2004 departure from
Gucci, it was a fashion moment
glamour and doesn’t ported to a place of fantasy,
even though you are wearing
both seminal and triumphant. apologize for it.” his clothes in a very real way in
It’s notable that Ford, who
narrated the presentation, pre-
—rita wilson the real world.” While Wilson
says she found the experience
fers to think of the event not as “more nerve-wracking” than
a room brimming with boldfaced names, but as a return any of her film roles—“because it was his world, not one I
to something he holds dear. “There is a sense of intimacy had much experience in,” she adds without hesitation—“I
that has been lost in fashion over the last two decades, and would do it again in a second if he asked me.”
it is important to me as a designer to bring that back,” he continued on page 126
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2. continued from page 124
M
odel Amber Valletta has witnessed firsthand the evolution of Ford,
having played a role in another essential chapter, his 1995 Gucci
show, roundly agreed to be part of both a star-making turn for the
designer and the irrefutable comeback of the storied Italian label. “I’m not
one to dwell on things, but I recognize the importance of that moment,” says
Valletta. “Fashion has changed so drastically since then. But we knew when
we saw those clothes that they were special. We all looked so incredibly sen-
sual and powerful, and there just wasn’t anything like it at the time. I
remember walking that runway and feeling the power of that room.”
Valletta notes a force of a different kind when Ford invited her to take part
in his September 2010 show, which also boasted a full-circle vibe. “Tom said,
‘It makes sense you’re here; you’re a good-luck charm,’” she recalls. “That
show was extremely personal, and you were so close to the audience that
they could reach out and touch your clothes. And Tom announced all of us,
just like old-school runway.”
Because of the promotion and subsequent awards-season schedule result-
ing from A Single Man, Ford had only three months to craft his women’s
debut; he enjoyed the luxury of a bit more time for his Fall/Winter 2011 col-
lection, now sharing space with his men’s collection in the 9,200-square-foot
Rodeo Drive boutique he opened in February. “My first [women’s] collec-
tion was really about returning to womenswear and establishing a framework
for what the collection will be,” says Ford. “My second collection is much
more developed in its size and scope, yet it is still about individuality. It con-
sists of real clothes for real women. I want my shops to be somewhere a
woman knows she can go when she wants a great jacket, a great pair of pants,
a beautiful shoe, or a great bag,” he says. Ford with Lara Stone in his Fall 2011 beauty campaign.
Fall/Winter plays into that idea with some of the most sumptuous, tactile
“Every woman needs a perfectly “I am not in
cut, tailored suit for day; a black That philosophy also extends to his growing
beauty line. This month Ford launches a comprehen-
the ads because which we know from the men’s perfume ads I have
appeared in.”
cocktail dress; a smoking; a perfect sive 132-piece collection that ranges from cosmetics I am vain. A lot of Ford turned 50 in August, an event that tends to
pair of pumps with high heels.” to skincare to brushes and contains three additions to
his fragrance line: Jasmin Rouge, Violet Blonde, and
people still do not inspire men and women alike, regardless of status or
profession, to pause for a moment of reflection. One
Santal Blush. With beauty counters brimming with know who I am, might argue Ford has been reflecting since his depar-
pieces to emerge from the season: a masterful mix of corsetlike detailing on
choices these days, how does Ford view his collection
as a solution? “There are a lot of promises and prod-
and the product ture from Gucci in 2004, taking his time to build what
he wanted to say as an artist of fashion or film. And
high-neck lace dresses, peplums on severely cut sheaths of crimson velvet, ucts out there you don’t even need, so when I started sells better with me every step is on his own terms: His womenswear shows,
and stunning tuxedo suiting for evening. The latter is referred to in the fash-
ion vernacular simply as a “smoking,” a term originally coined by Yves Saint
designing the skincare and cosmetics collection, like
with anything else I design, I did a lot of research,” he
in the ads.” which have shifted from New York to London, con-
tinue to be shrouded in secrecy, with photos not
Laurent when he famously introduced Le Smoking tuxedo dressing for says. “I spent time trying to understand how to com- released until the clothes arrive in stores; he is likewise
women in 1966 (Ford served as creative director of YSL between 2000 and pensate for the architecture of the face and designed products that were mum on his follow-up to A Single Man, although he does allow that by mid-
2004). Ford accented these feminine, forward clothes with bold jewelry in practical. My formulas are proprietary and really the best money can buy. summer 2012, “If I am lucky, we might be talking about my next film.”
hammered gold, gold-fringed handbags, and velvet sandals that wrap like The colors are rich and original, and the finishes flawless. That is what sets When Tom Ford joined Gucci in 1990, it was a dusty brand that had
ribbons around a woman’s foot. us apart: quality and straightforward products to help every woman amplify been diluted in its perceived value by too much licensing; quite simply, no
“Tom has evolved with the times, but he has not left who he is behind; her beauty.” one cared about the storied Italian label that had seen better days. By
that’s what makes him so special,” says Valletta. “He has a very clear view- 2004, when he exited what ultimately had become the Gucci Group, the
F
point of women and design, and he’s held fast to that, even as you see his ord appears in the ad campaign with supermodel Lara Stone, company was a global giant valued at $10 billion, with the paramount rea-
ideas expand. His clothes have gotten more intelligent, sharper and more whom he calls “graceful and striking, [possessing] an unusual and son for its monumental turnaround most decidedly rooted in the sensuous
focused, and more exquisite.” individual kind of beauty that is rare in today’s world.” His pres- luxury Ford brought to the mix. It’s telling that, after experiencing the
While that high-profile inaugural outing was rooted in defining who Ford is ence in the campaign sparked some conversation—whispers about the stratospheric highs of the golden Gucci era of the 1990s—the nonstop
as a womenswear designer, standing on his own, and not being beholden to a vanity of a man who inserts himself into his ads. But Ford is unapologetic. attention and frenzied, large-scale shows with audiences of 1,000-plus—
house or label with a DNA built by another, this follow-up is comprised of his “I am a very practical and pragmatic person, and the reality is that I am in Ford is both inspired by and wholly content with the notion of building a
vision for crafting the ideal wardrobe. “Every woman needs a perfectly cut, the ads because I am still in the phase of brand development where I need brand that not only reaches new heights of luxury, but does so on a decid-
tailored suit for day; a black cocktail dress; a smoking; a perfect pair of pumps to make sure people realize there is an actual person behind the brand, edly intimate level. Asked if he’d ever be interested in once again signing
with high heels,” says Ford. “The most important key to being well dressed, designing literally everything we make and creating the language of the on as the creative director of a house built by another, Ford’s answer is a
from top:Structure, lace, and the shine of gold are among the elements
that populate Ford’s Fall/Winter 2011 collection. bottom: A look inside however, is for a woman to wear something that suits her style and body shape. brand,” he says. “I am not in the ads because I am vain. A lot of people still simple one: “Why? Been there, done that. I have my own brand. Why
Ford’s Beverly Hills boutique. A woman who is confident and knows what looks best will always look great.” do not know who I am, and the product sells better with me in the ads, would I need anything else?” LAC
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