Tom Ford F/W 2018.19 New York

[ghostwriter10549]

I need to see the video footage!

TF youtube channel just post this video that I guess is from the Instagram's livestream so the quality is awful, and I actually surprised that they have posted it.

Anyway, its here:

 

[jeanclaude]

^^ The disco music is the only thing of this show that I love. Why Tom didn´t allow the DJ to design the whole collection?

 

[Wintergreen]

It's definitely not as bad as people are saying it is. But is it so bad that it's actually good? I think not.

This. Not tacky or sexual or outrageous enough to really make an impact. He should fully go for it. If anyone's capable of making the Dolce & Gabbana SS05 of the 2010s it's him.

 

[Lola701]

Who is this designer; and what did he make with Tom Ford?? Because it´s hard to realise this collection has been designed by the real TF.

Back in the 90s and early 00s he was sophisticated while being modern at the same time. This collection is dated and tacky. Tacky to a level that could make Cavalli cry.

In the past Tom managed to mix bold prints in a tasteful manner (prints clash from Gucci S/S 1996 is an example on how to play with tacky prints without getting a tacky result).
By this doesn´t feel as studied and controlled. It feels random and trashy.

And that "p*ssy Power" slogan?? Is it Tom Ford´s hardcore version of Dior´s "We should all be feminists"??

To be honest, this is totally a matter of time passing and perspective. Tom Ford back then was highly criticized and controversial. Maybe his FW1996 and FW2003 collections were his most critically acclaimed shows but his wild taste has always been considered as tacky. At least, this is a word that i've always heard or seen affiliated with Tom.

His SS 2001 Gucci collection was panned by the critics. It was totally missunderstood but it turned out to be his most influencial collection and even more, looking at it today, it's almost impossible to see why it was hated so much.

What saved Tom was his ability to move on and the fact that he defined the look of the era. But against Miuccia and Helmut, he was maybe the hottest and most influencial but he was also the most criticized.

For me, there's a big difference between Cavalli and Ford. Ford men and women dress for themselves or with the idea of competting with people from the same sex.

Cavalli was very specific. He was a straight man from the south with a particular taste. Yes, both clientele are fearless but you'll rarely see a Tom Ford woman in Cavalli.

Most of the girls in this show are fully dressed tho.

 

[MissMagAddict]

Tom Ford is fashion’s ultimate outside insider.

 

[gossiping]

new york fashion week is so unexciting now

this epitomises it

can't wait for milan and paris

 

[MyNameIs]

Probably his worst collection under his namesake brand. Just no rendering qualities.

 

[Phuel]

The soundtrack drags the presentation down so much.

It should have been hardcore New Jack Swing: Bell Biv Devoe, Mary J Blige, Jodeci. SWV… or 80s freestyle: Shannon, Timex Social Club, Debbie Deb, Sly Fox… Those are the OG sonic attitude the fashion needs— not this harmless Top 40 dance pop.

 

[jeanclaude]

To be honest, this is totally a matter of time passing and perspective. Tom Ford back then was highly criticized and controversial. Maybe his FW1996 and FW2003 collections were his most critically acclaimed shows but his wild taste has always been considered as tacky. At least, this is a word that i've always heard or seen affiliated with Tom.

His SS 2001 Gucci collection was panned by the critics. It was totally missunderstood but it turned out to be his most influencial collection and even more, looking at it today, it's almost impossible to see why it was hated so much.

What saved Tom was his ability to move on and the fact that he defined the look of the era. But against Miuccia and Helmut, he was maybe the hottest and most influencial but he was also the most criticized.

For me, there's a big difference between Cavalli and Ford. Ford men and women dress for themselves or with the idea of competting with people from the same sex.

Cavalli was very specific. He was a straight man from the south with a particular taste. Yes, both clientele are fearless but you'll rarely see a Tom Ford woman in Cavalli.

Most of the girls in this show are fully dressed tho.

Tom Ford at Gucci was considered bold and modern, but not tacky. Tacky is another level, a level that both Versace and Cavalli (among others) know very well.
It´s true that TF style echoes the 70s (the original tacky era); but he polished the rough edges of the "tacky factor" into something stylish.

It´s not only a matter of time and nostalgia for Ford´s tenure at Gucci that makes people see his work there as "cool". It is the fact that, even at his wildest, he always knew how to control it. And managing to transform "tacky" into sophisticated, modern and desirable clothes is something that very few designers are able to do. He always knew when to stop, exactly at the right point.

But with the current collection he is totally out of control. He adds everything and the kitchen sink into the design of the clothes (bright fabrics, bold colours, rhinestones, fake fur, patches, prints, etc). There is no balance at all.

Vannesa Friedman summarizes the feeling of a lost Tom on this quote from her article for NY Times:
Mr. Ford has always loved a bit of kitsch — it’s part of his birthright as a designer; part of what put him on the map at Gucci, back in the day — but his skill lay in balancing it with an appreciation of high luxury, so the net effect was an elegantly knowing, arch kind of power cool. This time around, the luxury element was missing, despite all that fur. Giant paste diamond buttons on coats and jackets just looked cheap.

That´s the reason why I compared him to Cavalli. Roberto didn´t know when to stop, there wasn´t any control in his clothes...something that I see in this TF collection too.

I don´t see TF customers wearing Cavalli either. That´s the reason why I don´t see them wearing this collection.
The feeling of "being in charge" from his Gucci days is gone. And it´s sad, because Tom had an exquisite taste back in the 90s.

 

[Lola701]

^^
I totally get your point but what I think is actually fun about this show is how the OTT aspect is very controlled.
We know it’s Tom Ford, we know that he is a control freak and he has a twisted humor. It’s almost impossible to take this collection as seriously as some would like to.

Looking at it more and more, i’m Actually sold on the whole thing.

I think that in this era of irony, fairytale-ish, sexless excess, it’s good to see something 100% tacky, glamorous and sexy. This will attract a younger clientele that maybe loved the idea of Tom Ford but wasn’t really engaged with the clothes.

What I love the most are the polarizing responses!

For the moment at NYFW, that’s the only show that gives me a feeling of fashion.And for that alone, it’s already on my list of favorite shows of the season

 

[jeanclaude]

^^
I totally get your point but what I think is actually fun about this show is how the OTT aspect is very controlled.
We know it’s Tom Ford, we know that he is a control freak and he has a twisted humor. It’s almost impossible to take this collection as seriously as some would like to.

Looking at it more and more, i’m Actually sold on the whole thing.

I think that in this era of irony, fairytale-ish, sexless excess, it’s good to see something 100% tacky, glamorous and sexy. This will attract a younger clientele that maybe loved the idea of Tom Ford but wasn’t really engaged with the clothes.

What I love the most are the polarizing responses!

For the moment at NYFW, that’s the only show that gives me a feeling of fashion.And for that alone, it’s already on my list of favorite shows of the season

Or maybe it´s just a desperate movement for trying to get attention back to him, now that his heydays are gone; and now that almost everyone is obsessed with Alessandro Michele´s excesses at Gucci...in any case I miss so much the old Ford.

 

[Lola701]

I don’t think it’s really about that. Maybe it was in the beginning when he came back because he had that pressure. But now, his business is doing well overall.
I really think that he doesn’t give a damn about it. He is independent, he can do whatever he wants and he knows that he can’t compete with Alessandro. Even more, he has stated many times that he loves his work at Gucci (Which wasn’t the case with Frida).

As someone else said earlier, he is today’s fashion outside insider.

Every designer had his heydays and we sometimes believe that they are always chasing them once they start doing something that we don’t like our makes uncomfortable but a designer of his caliber is almost untouchable. A bad review doesn’t mean anything for him. He is like Hedi Slimane and Alaia combined.

What I want from him is to excite me. Spring 2017 was bad and his last 3 collections said something. That’s all I want.

He defined an era. He will never be as good as he was then but that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t try.

 

[jeanclaude]

I don’t think it’s really about that. Maybe it was in the beginning when he came back because he had that pressure. But now, his business is doing well overall.
I really think that he doesn’t give a damn about it. He is independent, he can do whatever he wants and he knows that he can’t compete with Alessandro. Even more, he has stated many times that he loves his work at Gucci (Which wasn’t the case with Frida).

As someone else said earlier, he is today’s fashion outside insider.

Every designer had his heydays and we sometimes believe that they are always chasing them once they start doing something that we don’t like our makes uncomfortable but a designer of his caliber is almost untouchable. A bad review doesn’t mean anything for him. He is like Hedi Slimane and Alaia combined.

What I want from him is to excite me. Spring 2017 was bad and his last 3 collections said something. That’s all I want.

He defined an era. He will never be as good as he was then but that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t try.

The way I see it, even though his business is going well and he is undoubtedly a 90s style iconic designer, he needs to keep being somehow relevant...because young generations don´t know anything about his tenures at Gucci and YSL. They haven´t seen him at his best.

And now in 2018 this means "Instagram-worthy clothes" (traduction: flashy clothes as current Gucci´s hot ones). And even though he can´t compete with Alessandro, he can profit from jumping on a lite but similar bandwagon. Business is business, after all. It´s a way for promoting his perfumes and make-up line.

Bad reviews sadly doesn´t matter anymore. Only us, fashion freaks, care for them. Social media are the new fashion critics.

I hope he keeps trying.

 

[Lola701]

The way I see it, even though his business is going well and he is undoubtedly a 90s style iconic designer, he needs to keep being somehow relevant...because young generations don´t know anything about his tenures at Gucci and YSL. They haven´t seen him at his best.

And now in 2018 this means "Instagram-worthy clothes" (traduction: flashy clothes as current Gucci´s hot ones). And even though he can´t compete with Alessandro, he can profit from jumping on a lite but similar bandwagon. Business is business, after all. It´s a way for promoting his perfumes and make-up line.

Bad reviews sadly doesn´t matter anymore. Only us, fashion freaks, care for them. Social media are the new fashion critics.

I hope he keeps trying.

With Tom, i'm really confused about the relevant thing because for me the real problem is maybe the presentation of his shows.
His clothes has been more relevant lately than it has been in the past.
In the past, his clothes were either overdesigned (fall 2011) or underdesigned(fall 2014). I think that also his clothes struggled to connect with an idea of an active woman.
His menswear is really connected with the idea of a very active, dynamic and stylish man. Without all the gimmicks he has put on his last menswear show, men buy Tom Ford suits to work.

The representation of "modern sexy clothes" is pretty much clean lines, monochromatic palette or abstract prints with a street edge like Dion Lee for example. Or you have to present clothes in a cold, white atmosphere (like Versace for example) and it's not really what he is...

Sometimes, his womenswear felt like "rich lady in her limo" whereas it's the active woman who is originally connected to Tom Ford. Looking back at collections like Spring 2017, fall 2015 or even fall 2016, you kinda wonder to whom those clothes were aimed for...Despite some great pieces.

While Fall 2012 will remain as his ultimate collection for an "active woman", i feel like he got something with "The party girl" because today, sexy means party and his way of doing sexy has more dept, more humor, more sophistication than maybe Peter Dundas and some others.

Spring 2015, 2016, 2018 and this actual collection are really tapping into this "party girl" vibe and i think it's working. The clothes are relevant and meaningfull.

The presentation in the other hand is weird. While i get the "go for it" aspect of this collection, it could have looked totally different on a different cast, with pants or bare legs as opposed to matching tights and flashy leggings and there's something about the light that is quite weird.

For me, his best runway presentation was for spring 2015. It was slick!
And i don't know if working with Carine today is totally helpful for someone like Tom Ford. I've said it many times already but i think that as a stylist, she can be perfect for the campaigns but the show need a fresher eye.

Someone like ALex White or Benjamin Bruno (That Tom actually knows pretty well), or even MAS could do wonders for him.

 

[disco54]

This is a piss poor collection and very tacky. By far the worst TF collection EVER.

 

[jeanclaude]

With Tom, i'm really confused about the relevant thing because for me the real problem is maybe the presentation of his shows.
His clothes has been more relevant lately than it has been in the past.
In the past, his clothes were either overdesigned (fall 2011) or underdesigned(fall 2014). I think that also his clothes struggled to connect with an idea of an active woman.
His menswear is really connected with the idea of a very active, dynamic and stylish man. Without all the gimmicks he has put on his last menswear show, men buy Tom Ford suits to work.

The representation of "modern sexy clothes" is pretty much clean lines, monochromatic palette or abstract prints with a street edge like Dion Lee for example. Or you have to present clothes in a cold, white atmosphere (like Versace for example) and it's not really what he is...

Sometimes, his womenswear felt like "rich lady in her limo" whereas it's the active woman who is originally connected to Tom Ford. Looking back at collections like Spring 2017, fall 2015 or even fall 2016, you kinda wonder to whom those clothes were aimed for...Despite some great pieces.

While Fall 2012 will remain as his ultimate collection for an "active woman", i feel like he got something with "The party girl" because today, sexy means party and his way of doing sexy has more dept, more humor, more sophistication than maybe Peter Dundas and some others.

Spring 2015, 2016, 2018 and this actual collection are really tapping into this "party girl" vibe and i think it's working. The clothes are relevant and meaningfull.

The presentation in the other hand is weird. While i get the "go for it" aspect of this collection, it could have looked totally different on a different cast, with pants or bare legs as opposed to matching tights and flashy leggings and there's something about the light that is quite weird.

For me, his best runway presentation was for spring 2015. It was slick!
And i don't know if working with Carine today is totally helpful for someone like Tom Ford. I've said it many times already but i think that as a stylist, she can be perfect for the campaigns but the show need a fresher eye.

Someone like ALex White or Benjamin Bruno (That Tom actually knows pretty well), or even MAS could do wonders for him.

My favourite TF collection (in terms of design, presentation, stylism and music) is S/S 2015 too. It reminds a lot of his Gucci collections...so I think that´s why I like it.
There are strong looks there and statement pieces. And you can find that "control" that he used to managed so well in the past. Sexy without being tacky or vulgar. And with that touch of "refined kinkiness" that he knows how to handle when he wants to.

But in the rest of his collections he´s been very bland for me (or a total disaster like the last one). The last seasons were really forgettable.

Now people is talking about his last collection; so the "make noise" factor that I mentioned in my last comment worked for him.
He likes buzz, he´s used to it (and he needs it). After all he is not a low-key designer (like Alaïa was)...and he needs to keep selling those "****ing Fabulous" perfumes out there to new generations of customers.

 

[ghostwriter10549]

 

[Spike413]

It took me a little while to really digest this collection, which is strange because TF is one of the designers I look to to feel that visceral, immediate reaction time and time again.

One thing I will say, and this is something I've come to notice about many of his collections, is that he really does have a knack for tricking you into believing it's more colorful than it really is. Watching the live video and reviewing it picture by picture afterwards all I kept thinking to myself was "wow, this is REALLY bright and loud", and certainly there are plenty of looks which are, but seeing the whole collection as a cluster of thumbnails in the beginning of the thread, it's not quite as heavy on the color as my first impression led me to believe. There's just as much or more black in the show, which makes it far more believable from a clothing standpoint.

From a fashion standpoint, I love the fact that he completely surprised me. NONE of this was what I would've expected after last season's sleek, slick and sporty collection. Actually, NONE of this is really what I would expect from Tom Ford period. But then I take a step back and realize that he's done technicolor animal prints before, and he's done clashing patchwork before, and crystal-encrusted kitten heels with elongated rectanguar toes, and massive jewelry, and colorful tights, and fake fur, and sequins and all of it. It's just that this go around it's seen through a sort of Stephen Sprouse-y, '60s by way of the '80s filter with the volume turned up to 11 so that it plays well on social media.

All in all, I definitely get it. It makes me smile, I won't forget it by season's end, and I'd love shooting some of it. It isn't likely to be my favorite TF collection, but that's totally fine.

 

[softgrey]

It took me a little while to really digest this collection, which is strange because TF is one of the designers I look to to feel that visceral, immediate reaction time and time again.

One thing I will say, and this is something I've come to notice about many of his collections, is that he really does have a knack for tricking you into believing it's more colorful than it really is. Watching the live video and reviewing it picture by picture afterwards all I kept thinking to myself was "wow, this is REALLY bright and loud", and certainly there are plenty of looks which are, but seeing the whole collection as a cluster of thumbnails in the beginning of the thread, it's not quite as heavy on the color as my first impression led me to believe. There's just as much or more black in the show, which makes it far more believable from a clothing standpoint.

From a fashion standpoint, I love the fact that he completely surprised me. NONE of this was what I would've expected after last season's sleek, slick and sporty collection. Actually, NONE of this is really what I would expect from Tom Ford period. But then I take a step back and realize that he's done technicolor animal prints before, and he's done clashing patchwork before, and crystal-encrusted kitten heels with elongated rectanguar toes, and massive jewelry, and colorful tights, and fake fur, and sequins and all of it. It's just that this go around it's seen through a sort of Stephen Sprouse-y, '60s by way of the '80s filter with the volume turned up to 11 so that it plays well on social media.

All in all, I definitely get it. It makes me smile, I won't forget it by season's end, and I'd love shooting some of it. It isn't likely to be my favorite TF collection, but that's totally fine.

i love you spike...
i love how knowledgable you are and that you referenced him referencing Sprouse (cause he is totally doing that)...

i'm so proud of you and how well developed your eye has become...



*i still pretty much hate it though......
and i really believe that he is a misogynist...

 

[Nocturnal]

What is this? What happened to his glamorous, elegant, sexy collections? Everything looks cheap and tacky. And the pussypower bag... Is he really that desperate for attention? Melania is laughing at this.