Tom Ford: the man that conquered the world with his style

Tom Ford brought vitality and power to a dull fashion industry that had started to flat out in the ‘90s. 

Would the era be as provocative and daring as it was without its shining star?

His major breakthrough arrived when he joined Gucci in 1990. Thanks to the high-octane directive of Ford, Gucci underwent a complete transformation and, after a somewhat turbulent time, the brand was firmly restored to a place of utmost glory by 1996. With a market value of 7.8 billion euros and a turnover of 2.5 billion euros a year, it became one of the most prestigious brands in the world.

Coming from a more conservative background and then being thrown in the midst of the '90’s New York social life, what Ford became is a balanced mix of creativity and excess with traditional values. Despite being openly a fan of highly classic brands like Chanel and Armani, Ford added to them the sensual touch of the crazy parties that lived at Studio 54 to create his own identity in the fashion business. Moreover, Ford’s creative touch is mixed with architectural influence coming from his degree.

Few years after Ford's mother advised her son to start dressing properly, she presented him with a very stylish gift: a pair of Gucci Loafer shoes. Were shoes a message that came to the person who would raise Gucci from the ashes years later?

Both his path at Gucci and his namesake brand Tom Ford outlined a strong and recognizable personal brand. His magnetic personality, daring attitude with an always classic touch helped him to find his own space in the fashion industry, independently from the fashion house he was working for. His creative genius is the epitome of the “classic glamour” image: sexiness and edginess have always been at the basis of both his personal style and his creations, but with a refined touch that avoids such an image to be seen as vulgar.                                                                                   

       Kim Kardashian wearing the infamous Gucci g-stringnnnnnn 
 thong designed by Ford for the 1997 S/S collection

Gucci Autumn/Winter 1996 collection designed by Tom Ford 

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One woman, in particular, contributed to defining Ford’s incredible adventure at Gucci: Madonna! 

A blue silk Gucci shirt was designed by Ford for the American pop star at the MTV Music Awards in 1995 and it became so popular that Gucci's sales exploded right after. The shirt is now included among his timeless outfits. The brand became a symbol of glamour and status again.

After Madonna, Ford’s star power has been more and more defined by the numerous popular figures he styled. Michelle Obama wore a Tom Ford ivory floor-length evening gown in Buckingham Palace in 2011. He also designed the suit of Daniel Craig in the last three films of James Bond. These placements allowed him to get into the common mind of the people and to keep his name onto the top of the fashion’s icons.

Madonna wearing Gucci at the MTV Music Awards in  1995

The idea of style conveyed by Tom Ford’s brand is totalizing, and can not be separated by the context in which people and their fashion are immersed. As the founder thinks, consistency is key for the brand, and that's the reason which brought Ford to launch and participate in other than clothing ventures like Home Decor and Cinema. The latter contributes to give a perception of the director’s ultimate idea of the brand. The initial scene of “Nocturnal Animals” captures all the essence of the brand soul. He is the screenplayer, director and producer of the movie in which he narrates what the brand really is.

Tom Ford has never been easily scared of big challenges. When he joined Gucci in the ‘90s, the brand was close to bankruptcy and he was still very devoted to his vision of the fashion world. In 2005, he decided to launch his own brand and he admitted that “it’s much, much harder to start from scratch”. He put all of his efforts on it and it paid back quickly. Even though he was facing depression and alcoholism for a period of his stardom, he found his way back to the shining stars of the fashion world.

                                                                               

REFERENCES

O. Ahmed. (2016). Tom Ford's Sexual Revolution at Gucci A/W96. AnOther Magazine.

https://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/8296/tom-fords-sexual-revolution-at-gucci-aw96

O. Pectu. (2010). How Tom Ford is rewriting the rules of creating a luxury brand. CPPLuxury.

https://cpp-luxury.com/how-tom-ford-is-rewriting-the-rules-of-creating-a-luxury-brand/

M.Scivoli. (2017). Tom Ford. VUE.
https://vuenj.com/tom-ford/ 

I.Amed. (2013). The Business of Being Tom Ford, Business of Fashion.

https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/the-business-of-being-tom-ford-part-i 

R. Haskell. (2019). A Man For All Seasons: Inside the World of Tom Ford. Vogue.com

https://www.vogue.com/article/man-for-all-seasons-tom-ford

S.L. Klose. Tom Ford...Influencing Contemporary Culture with Brilliant Marketing. Art Chateau.

https://artchateau.com/Article.php?pid=20130