Tom Ford F/W 2020.21 Los Angeles

[vogue28]

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[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[jeanclaude]

It is very sad to see Tom´s decadence. With logo t-shirts and all.

 

[Lola701]

The pitch of the collection was slightly interesting to deliver something fun: he was inspired by L.A. laid back (and terrible) style. I live in a country where wearing sweatpants in the street if you aren’t going to the gym or if you aren’t under 30 is weird. Sweatpants is for the airport at best!
But in a weird way, it’s coherent to celebrities style...
I don’t think people in his staff are wearing those. But as a clever businessman, it’s great opportunities I guess.

So, the collection is a bit underwhelming. Great production, great cast, great music, great beauty...Full on glamour but I like half of it!
Fabulous skirts, fabulous eveningwear section and while the slouchyness (is that a word?) of the menswear, I don’t think it worked in womenswear. The patchwork denim is ugly (it works best on skirts and Hedi did it fabulously) and all those T-shirts...

Tom explained to Carine the pitch and she came up with her lazy expected styling. T-shirts, socks with heels...(she did that last year for TF and for Karl’s campaign) Things that can work perfectly on a editorial but that looks passé on the runway.

Not everybody can be like MAS and Nicolas, that’s why if nobody is pushing themselves in the designer-stylist, one person has to go...In this case, Carine.

 

[bc collector]

Tom Ford's collections have become so formulaic in the last few years that they don't deserve more than a quick glance, you kind of know in advance what you're gonna find in there.
And it's a pity, Ford is way smarter than people like D&G, who have gone down the same route; it feels like his RTW business is the last thing in his mind at the moment.

 

[Lola701]

Tom Ford's collections have become so formulaic in the last few years that they don't deserve more than a quick glance, you kind of know in advance what you're gonna find in there.
And it's a pity, Ford is way smarter than people like D&G, who have gone down the same route; it feels like his RTW business is the last thing in his mind at the moment.

But D&G are very confident in their formula. They are doing clothes that sells and that their clientele wants. In a way it’s a formula for those independent brands that aren’t lucky to have a smash It-bag.

I’m sure we wouldn’t mind seeing Tom Ford do the same thing over and over again if it was flawlessly done everytime. People dress up to go to a Tom Ford show, in a way it’s a brand of « fashion formalwear » a bit like Alaia or Elie Saab. People loved Tom Ford and his cool factor. He doesn’t need sweatpants.

I don’t think fashion is the last thing on his mind but I think that he doesn’t know what to do with his womenswear. It seems like he wants to be part of the fashion conversation when IMO he is above that. He is an iconic designer and even if his peak was 2 decades ago, fine! His brand is doing great...It doesn’t need Cashmere sweatpants (on the runway).

 

[kasper!]

I wish he put more evening looks...the daytime & casual looks are just...sorry let's skip them.

Adore the last bridal look, very sublime. He used the song Killing Me Softly as he used on the runway of Gucci 2004 FW!

 

[bc collector]

But D&G are very confident in their formula. They are doing clothes that sells and that their clientele wants. In a way it’s a formula for those independent brands that aren’t lucky to have a smash It-bag.

I wanna hope that, for being that predictable, at least their sales are good, I don't see the point otherwise.

But that fact that you have found a formula that works commercially does not mean that you cannot push yourself a bit more on the runway (me naif, I still think that that is what a runway is for, the rest being showroom fare).
On the contrary, it's because you have a solid commercial platform to rely upon, that, theoretically, you may have the leisure to experiment a bit more with the shows, without putting your core business at risk (look no further than Rick Owens, for example).

This is a common, basic misunderstanding, that commercial success obliterates creative push. It's a poor excuse to hide the fact that you are lazy and have been over-complacent with yourself.

For Christ's sake, at Tom Ford even the runway itself and the whole stage design have looked pretty much the same forever...

 

[Lola701]

I wanna hope that, for being that predictable, at least their sales are good, I don't see the point otherwise.

But that fact that you have found a formula that works commercially does not mean that you cannot push yourself a bit more on the runway (me naif, I still think that that is what a runway is for, the rest being showroom fare).
On the contrary, it's because you have a solid commercial platform to rely upon, that, theoretically, you may have the leisure to experiment a bit more with the shows, without putting your core business at risk (look no further than Rick Owens, for example).

This is a common, basic misunderstanding, that commercial success obliterates creative push. It's a poor excuse to hide the fact that you are lazy and have been over-complacent with yourself.

For Christ's sake, at Tom Ford even the runway itself and the whole stage design have looked pretty much the same forever...

I agree!
So true about the stage design even if I like the fact that he has never done I finale. I don’t like finale when there’s no elaborated sets a la Louis Vuitton.

But this collection totally goes back to the point that I made in his YSL collection on the fact that in his heydays, people used to dress more and looking back with our eyes of today, his whole body of work at YSL and Gucci is very dressy. By today’s standard, Tom Ford has always done eveningwear or « cocktail wear ». And I have the same feeling today about Alber Elbaz.
And I totally agree with you. Having a faithful clientele shouldn’t be a reason for laziness. Chanel sells a lot of tweed jackets, it has never stopped the imagination of Karl to reinvent it. The same for Rick.

But we all know that it all goes down to the dynamic in the studio between a designer and, in this case, his stylist. The only thing that can save Tom is for Carine to be the new EIC of Bazaar.

It’s a pity because I love the eveningwear and the wedding dress, which is something really new for Tom.

 

[Benn98]

Glitz, glam, flash, Hollywood, LA, bling, rich, in the most literal sense.....can you maybe expand your vocabulary and the way you showcase these shows?

That said, obsessed with the opening look and the cut of those trousers. The trousers are almost too cool and out of place for TF in 2020. I wish he'd build more around that. Evening looks could pass for Balmain, and that's not a compliment.

 

[dior_couture1245]

I completely agree with Lola that it’s time for Carine and Tom to part ways. At this stage in the game, they seem to bring out the worst in each other.

Tom and Carine used to be able to evoke a real casual attitude without sacrificing glamour back in some of those late 90’s Gucci shows...Spring 1999, for example, is more authentically LA than this is.

Ultimately, though, fashion is not for intelligent people anymore. So I’m not sure there’s much I can expect from it at this point, if anything.

 

[dfl-001]

I like some of the men's looks, the jackets, and the brocade looking shoes.
But I'll pass on the tye-dyed pieces and the cliché see thru dresses at the end.
I like the casual look of a turtle neck over a sequin skirt, but I'm not digging the sweat top as a top with some of the looks.

 

[dior_couture1245]

^^I agree...the turtleneck with the sequin skirt is a cute look.

But again, Carine blew it.

If I were doing her job here, I’d have scrubbed off all that model’s makeup, let her hair down with a good, messy shake through with my fingers and tuck it all behind her ears, throw away the earrings, and give her a pair of blocky sling-back kitten heels or a demure little thong sandal.

I’d scrap the mirrored runway and harsh lighting and soften everything up in regards to the presentation.

But alas....I am not in charge. Lol

 

[Salvatore]

Tom ...
I love you so much, but this is awful.

 

[reese06]

I actually wish he would’ve cut those logo t-shirts off right under the bust. That’ll be could at least push the vulgarity of it.

While there are nice pieces, he seems lost. Do you want to be a part of the “fashion” conversation or not Tom. Either is fine because he’s contributed so much to the conversation already.

 

[GivenchyHomme]

Who is going to wear this? 70 year old socialites? The only good look is the ribbon dress on Bella. It's quite fabulous! Other than that, this is not it.

 

[Steddycam91]

I've been trying to process this collection...and honestly still thrown for a loop.

Sending a model down the runway wearing a logo'd sweatsuit with feather earrings and a leopard coat is...a choice. And I'm guessing the patchwork denim and asymmetric skirts must do well saleswise, seeing as he's trotting them out again?

As GivenchyHomme mentioned, that dress on Bella is amazing.

I also concur that he needs to let go of the dark, mirrored sets. I'm imagining seeing these clothes in a sleek white show space....and perhaps it would be a more interesting proposition?

And for god's sake, Tom, change up the music. Perhaps he thinks it's fun and adds to that gleeful campiness factor, but to me it just falls so flat. I'm imagining darker, more unexpected...and just cooler soundtrack selections that would give these clothes and the whole presentation a real conviction. I mean, why have such overtly cheesy music choices and then take your bow at the end with stone-faced seriousness?

 

[liberty33r1b]

who would spend $$$ on this??

 

[MagFan]

that dress on Bella looks like client's attempt to make 10 times worn Armani dress from last year/season collection to look new and fresh again by attaching those random bows haha

 

[Norden]

I find his use of purples and pinks really jarring, especially in these shiny fabrics with white shirting.

it’s not his best offering.