Tom Ford: “Fashion is fed from irony, slanders and treachery”!
Tom Ford was born in 1962 (according to some sources in 1961) in Austin, Texas, USA. He studied in University of New York but he moved to study interior and fashion design in “Parsons” college in New York where he graduated in 1986. In the meantime he acted as a model and took part in several television advertisements. He worked for “Perry Ellis” and assisted Mark Jacobs, later he became chief designer in “Katie Hardwick”. In 1990 Tom Ford goes to the famous Italian fashion house “Gucci” and after four years he becomes chief designer and creative director. Except women wear, the talented man from Texas designs accessories, watches and perfumes for the brand. He is chief designer of the prêt-a-porte line of Yves Saint Laurent – “Rive Gauche”. He quits working for “Gucci” in 2004. Then he becomes consultant for “Sotheby’s” – influential auctions house. In 2005 he starts collaborating with the cosmetic empire “Estee Lauder”. In addition to the creating of aroma liquids, glasses and other products he makes a new collection “Tom Ford Estee Lauder”. He has received many prestigious awards like “Desgner of the year 2001” and “The best designer for accessories 2002” of the Council of fashion designers in the United States of America. The “Time” magazine pronounced him the best designer in the world in 2001.
His style embodies one of the most magnetic directions in world fashion design in the 90s of 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. His style is emotional and pure, full with sex, young freshness and refined challenge. Intelligent chic, elegant erotic, self-confidence of the shape – just a little classifications of his work. But who is Tom Ford? Which are his philosophy and conceptions for fashion and design? Who are his most famous clients? And what was “Gucci” with Tom Ford or maybe more exact Tom Ford with “Gucci”?...
Early influences in childhood and youth
The childhood and the youth of every artist is a key to understanding one’s ideas, views and way of life. Was it like this for young Ford? Is there something special that marks his character? The little notes for the young years of the famous designer include separate shades that later become deep traces in his professional portrait. His parents exerted different influence on his soul. His mother was not really a usual housewife. With rich and extravagant matrimonial life (six official husbands) and fashion addicted, she imposed from early age to her son to wear properly for different occasions and to keep on his outlook. Why? To be recognized, to make a good impression, to gain success in society… Some biographies claim that the mother of Tom Ford was a huge fan of Andre Courege and she had many dresses and suits from him. Important and probably a sign of fate is one small fact from Ford’s youth: when he was 12 years old he received from his mother a pair of shoes made from the company with which the great designer will be connected later and it was “Gucci”. Probably many other American boys wore shoes “Gucci” but in this case the symbol was embodied. His mother was ambitious and gave many tasks to the son but his father was calm, stable and patient man. Today Tom Ford recalls his character and emphasizes how helpful is this philosophical attitude to life and the thought that everything is temporary and usual…
Fashion philosophy and conception
Fashion is able to make wonders: to transform one woman completely and to give her angelic radiation, to show her unsuspected virtues and characteristics due to its manipulative essence. Hidden or not, wanted or not, this manipulation defines the power of fashion design. Tom Ford knows clearly the mechanisms of these reincarnations and the relative nature of everything that is new and pretends to be different and original. Media and journalists quote and repeat his key words: “Fashion is an illusion. Appearance is also an illusion. What is truly important is everything that happens in real life.” There are some examples of his life when he has used plastic surgery to erase some wrinkle on his face and after he has regretted that he has fallen under this illusion. He is familiar with vanity but he is also deeply honest when speaking about morals and characters of the so called “fashion world”. The fabricated and too serious persons, the intrigues and gossips, the ingratiation and hypocrisy – they all form the cocktail or (said in Bulgarian) the “tjurlju gjuvech” of powdered and fake high society relationships. They dominate in the ostentation fashion and in this context they load it with negative and anti-virtuous energy. In the words of Tom Ford himself what feed fashion are “slanders, irony and treachery”.
His concept for fashion design and female aesthetic values cannot be understood without the key words “special”, “luxurious” and “tempting” in address of the contemporary woman. The designer is given many and different positive names but the most suitable is probably “perfectionist”. It is commonly known his exactingness to the quality of materials, the irreproachability of the pattern and the silhouette and the hyper sensuality to the new, unordinary and ultimate as vision and style. Let us hear his words which are closer to shades of his auto portrait than to a pose or snobbery. Tom Ford defines himself in this way: “I am a perfectionist. This work is absolutely egocentric to some degree. To be designer is to say: “This is the way people should dress and this is the way their homes should look and this is the way the world should appear.” Then it appears that the goal is achieving world domination through style”.
The experience of Ford in advertising business and his deep involvement in urban culture (let us recall that in his youth he was obsessed of the spirit of the famous night disco club “Studio 54” in New York where he meets and communicates with the king of pop art Andy Worhol), and also the knowledge of women’s psychology help us to realize his flawless, postmodern style. But what is postmodernism without the fine remarks of the past, without the combination and recombination of the known and unknown, retro and futurism? Among the advices or virtual dialogues between the designer and the modern women is put the piety to the manner of “vintage”, to the return of dresses, worn five or ten years ago combined and mixed with the newest accessories. This creates truly originality in the appearance and behavior of women. Ford is not indifferent to subcultures and he is one of the main “culprits” for the return of hippie style in the beginning of the 90s.
Among his latest professional projects two stand out – the opening of his own two-storey boutique on Madison Square in Manhattan, New York, in April 2007, and his speech to graduates 2007 of his elementary school which he has graduated 28 years ago. “I told them very wise words. I told them to do what really makes them happy”, says the famous designer. Today Ford has new goals. His business plan includes new boutiques in Milan (opening in 2008), in London (opening in 2009), in Los Angelis and Hawaii (opening in 2010). Ford has continuously met the support of Domenico del Sole of the team “Gucci”.
Famous clients
Pop stars and Hollywood icons, many beautiful and intelligent women of the show business stand in awe of Tom Ford (and “Gucci” of course, but later for this). Madonna is one of his most passionate admirers and it is known that she herself is a measure for modern style and fresh extravagance. It is not accidental that she was dressed wholly in Tom Ford’s wear on one of her performances on the ceremony of the annual musical awards of MTV. What likes she in his work? Undoubtfully it is the strong sexual and erotic appeal in his design, the youth spirit and the provocative manner. The wife of rock legend Mick Jagger – Bianca Jagger is also loyal to him and she cannot help to call him in public a master of the sewing and patterns, a champion of female elegance. All of this is understandable for a talent such as Ford but when the popular women begin to compare him with their husbands(which are also very popular), it is getting too serious! Trudie Styler, producer and wonderful actress, searches and finds common things between Tom Ford and her husband Sting, saying that the designer as the musician is perfectionist in every way and he loves to give himself to people although it is not always possible. But in this way people expect more and more from him.
The “Gucci” era
Comparing the famous clients of “Gucci” in the past (Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly) and in the present, Ford marks a principal difference between two popular women and their attitude to fashion – Catherine Deneuve (muse and admirer of “Yves Saint Laurent”) and Sophia Loren – passionate admirer of “Gucci”. Ford finds both of them very sexy but he also registers some differences: “Gucci” shows the sexuality of a woman from afar while “Yves Saint Laurent” has more complicated and sensual approach. What has “Gucci” given to Tom Ford and vice versa? After 14 years of successful partnership (1990-2004) the fashion world was shocked of their “divorce”. After the end of the ten-year contract between the famous designer and the fashion house, two leaders and friends – the artist Tom Ford and the executive director Domenico del Sole, could not get along with the owners and they left the fashion organization. The past years proved the advantages of this union. In the late 80s “Gucci” was a little forgotten but for two-three seasons Tom Ford succeeded to take it to the top places of the most prestigious brands in the empire of luxury. The challenge became bigger when the store clothes line of “Yves Saint Laurent” “Rive Gauche” was given to Tom Ford to lead it. Although Ford has always shown his worship to Yves Saint Laurent the two had different views and finally Laurent withdraw from the fashion carrier in 2002.
What Tom Ford has made for “Gucci”? Thanks to his reanimation the glory and glamour of the Italian house were restored. In the early 90s Ford takes the time with 30 years back in the world of fashion in order to make a return of the popular in the past specific coats with double fastening. This and other findings give him the privilege to be a fashion artist of world size. Among his merits is also his ability and good sense for marketing and knowing the market value of fashion goods. On the other hand “Gucci” made world known the Texas man. The fashion house brought the young and creative director before public satisfying his plans, projects and long-term programs. Why did they split up then? Obviously this model of partnership cannot last forever and when the mutual claims – from the owner to the artist and vice versa – reach a critical point, everybody takes his own way. Expectations for Tom Ford are big but in the last three years after leaving “Gucci” it seem that he has not yet found himself, despite the short- and long-term partnerships and his trying to devote himself to an old passion – working in cinema, despite his successful going into cosmetic business. But Tom Ford still is a star of the strongest fashion changes in the 90s and the new millennium. His style embodies the views and aesthetic preferences of the new generations of young people searching for new expressions of their appearance and their individuality.
_________________
Бележки:В статията са използвани следните източници:
Ермилова, Д.Ю. История домов моды, “Академия”.Москва, 2003; Симиджийска,
Кристина. Fordissimo, сп. “Червило”, юли 2002, с.78 – 83; Fashion now.
i-D selects the world’s 150 most important designers. Edited by Terry
Jones & Avril
Mair. – Köln: Taschen, 2005; McDowell, C. Fashion today. Phaidon Press
Limited. London, 2000; Reuters Television News; Seeling, Ch. Fashion.
The century of the designer 1900 – 1999. Konёmann,2000,Cologne; Tom Ford
. In: Fashion Designers. History of Fashion & Costume.
Tom
Ford. In: Hellow!
Photos:
1.Tom Ford
Photo: © www.learcenter.org
2. и 3. Models of Tom Ford for “Gucci”, autumn-winter 2002-2003
Photo: © Shoot Digital/VOGUE.COM
4. Model of Tom Ford for “Gucci”, 1998
Photo: © Luis Sanchis / McDowell, C. Fashion today. Phaidon Press Limited.
London, 2000, p.266.
5. Tom Ford
Photo: © Hasue / McDowell, C. Fashion today. Phaidon Press Limited. London,
2000, p.267.
6. Model of Tom Ford for “Gucci”, 1998
Photo: © Cometti / McDowell, C. Fashion today. Phaidon Press Limited.
London, 2000, p.267.
7. Design of Tom Ford for a watch “Gucci”
Photo: © “Tatler” (UK), January 1997 Volume 292 Number 1
8. Tom Ford for “Gucci”
Photo: © “Vogue” (USA) April 2002
9. Model of Tom Ford for “Gucci”, autumn-winter 1997-1998
Photo: © “Vogue” (UK) December 1997
10. Model of Tom Ford for “Yves Saint Laurent” “Rive Gauche”
Photo: © Fashion now. i-D selects the world’s 150 most important designers.
Edited by Terry Jones & Avril
Mair. – Köln: Taschen, 2005.
11. Model of Tom Ford for “Gucci”
Photo: © Matt Jones / Fashion now. i-D selects the world’s 150 most important
designers. Edited by Terry Jones & Avril
Mair. – Köln: Taschen, 2005.
12. Model of Tom Ford for “Gucci”, 2001
Photo: © Matt Jones / Fashion now. i-D selects the world’s 150 most important
designers. Edited by Terry Jones & Avril
Mair. – Köln: Taschen, 2005.
13. Model of Tom Ford for “Yves Saint Laurent” “Rive Gauche”, September 2001
Photo: © Matt Jones / Fashion now. i-D selects the world’s 150 most important
designers. Edited by Terry Jones & Avril
Mair. – Köln: Taschen, 2005.
14. Model of Tom Ford for “Yves Saint Laurent” “Rive Gauche”, November 2002
Photo: © Kayt Jones / Fashion now. i-D selects the world’s 150 most important
designers. Edited by Terry Jones & Avril
Mair. – Köln: Taschen, 2005.
15. Model of Tom Ford for “Gucci”, September 2002
Photo: © David Lachapelle / Fashion now. i-D selects the world’s 150 most
important designers. Edited by Terry Jones & Avril
Mair. – Köln: Taschen, 2005.
16. Model of Tom Ford, July 2001
Photo: © Nathaniel Goldberg / Fashion now. i-D selects the world’s 150
most important designers. Edited by Terry Jones & Avril
Mair. – Köln: Taschen, 2005.
17. Model of Tom Ford, June – July 2002
Photo: © David Lamb / Fashion now. i-D selects the world’s 150 most important
designers. Edited by Terry Jones & Avril
Mair. – Köln: Taschen, 2005.
18. Model of Tom Ford for “Gucci”, autumn-winter 2003-2004
Photo: © “Vogue” (USA) August 2003
VIDEO:
Fashion
TV FTV - TOM FORD SPECIAL - PART I - JANUARY 2004
Fashion TV FTV - TOM FORD SPECIAL - PART II - JANUARY 2004
Fashion TV FTV - TOM FORD SPECIAL - PART III - JANUARY 2004
Gucci Spring Summer 1998 Underwear
TOM FORD FOR YVES SAINT LAURENT RIVE GAUCHE
TOM FORD NEW STORE MADISON AVENUE
Tom Ford Interview about his new parfume
Tom Ford - London Fashion Week - Exclusive Video
Read: 18472 times © Fashion Lifestyle Magazine, issue 4, November 2007
MORE PUBLICATIONS:ISSUE 3: DOLCE&GABBANA: THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FASHION DUET
ISSUE 2: VALENTINO: THE ROMANTIC KNIGHT OF ELEGANT STYLE
ISSUE 1: GIORGIO ARMANI: „THE ELEGANCE IS MIXTURE OF THE SPIRIT, THE CULTURE AND THE INTELLIGENCE.“
