Tom Ford F/W 2020.21 Los Angeles

[Avonlea]

This one of his worst collections. He should just fire Carine, close the label and focus on being a director. He can always "design" custom dresses and suits for LA crowd. Why waste time and energy on trash like this?

 

[Lola701]

This one of his worst collections. He should just fire Carine, close the label and focus on being a director. He can always "design" custom dresses and suits for LA crowd. Why waste time and energy on trash like this?

He should ditch Carine yes. She is great for the campaigns but he should continue. I mean, his menswear is solid and desirable. It looks effortless and luxurious...sweatpants worn with a shearling coat and sneakers sounds weird but looks so good on his runway.

He shouldn’t close the brand. As much as I’m critical of his collections, I continue to buy his RTW because there are some good pieces here and there. Plus, in terms of tailoring, nobody cuts like him!

His menswear reflect the lifestyle of a category of men and is super aspirational to others. He should work with a stylist that represents that. Carine was that woman who was active, who worked at Vogue and who needed a wardrobe for her daily life. And while I love her I don’t think her lifestyle or the way she dresses is as aspirational as it was.

 

[Avonlea]

His menswear reflect the lifestyle of a category of men and is super aspirational to others. He should work with a stylist that represents that. Carine was that woman who was active, who worked at Vogue and who needed a wardrobe for her daily life. And while I love her I don’t think her lifestyle or the way she dresses is as aspirational as it was.

So who would you hire? Is there any stylist who can inspire and direct Tom like Carine used to in the 90s? Another issue that I have with Tom is that he never was a designer for me. A creative director?, image maker? - absolutely but not a designer. His Gucci tenure had such impact because of the image that he and Carine created together. There was a certain charm, atmosphere. When I watched a Gucci show I could spend hours thinking about that Girl, her lifestyle, character. The clothes themselves were nothing special for me. (with some exceptions) but that aura around them made everything so desirable. Now I feel nothing. Everything looks dated (not in a fun way) and even matronly sometimes. He is a director. Why can't he just direct a fim (not literally) and design a collection around it.

 

[Lola701]

So who would you hire? Is there any stylist who can inspire and direct Tom like Carine used to in the 90s? Another issue that I have with Tom is that he never was a designer for me. A creative director?, image maker? - absolutely but not a designer. His Gucci tenure had such impact because of the image that he and Carine created together. There was a certain charm, atmosphere. When I watched a Gucci show I could spend hours thinking about that Girl, her lifestyle, character. The clothes themselves were nothing special for me. (with some exceptions) but that aura around them made everything so desirable. Now I feel nothing. Everything looks dated (not in a fun way) and even matronly sometimes. He is a director. Why can't he just direct a fim (not literally) and design a collection around it.

I would hire George Cortina, Katy England or even Benjamin Bruno (he wasn’t bad for Lanvin)...at one point i thougth about Camilla Nickerson.
For me, Tom became a designer when he got the job at YSL. It was at that exact time that he started to push himself and learn about the techniques. His designs for Gucci were very simple, sometimes simplistic but as you said, they created a universe around it that worked.

But you can see a clear difference from FW2000 and SS2001. His work became more sophisticated, more detailed, more risky. Corsetry, biais cut...etc.

He is a designer first even if he defined what the word « creative director » means.

I believe a stylist can help a designer to take his/her vision to another level. Look at Donatella and how the different stylists have helped her to define her Versace.

Or maybe Tom should do his styling in-house. Carine is not involved in the menswear and it looks solid and desirable every season.

 

[Avonlea]

I
For me, Tom became a designer when he got the job at YSL. It was at that exact time that he started to push himself and learn about the techniques.

I agree. His tenure at YSL was amazing but as you said he pushed himself. The fact that he designed under such prestigious name probably played a huge role. Why did he become so lazy? With his vision he can do amazing things.

Maybe simplicity is what he should focus on? These looks with sweaters and sequined skirts are absolutely fabulous. Just go full 90s mode. I also think that his shows lack narrative,story which is ironic considering that he is a director.

I wonder If he has been offered a position at any brand after the Gucci exit. I would love him to take over Lanvin...

 

[lauralynn025]

i like the last dress that Kendall has on. But, yeah this collection isn't his best work.

 

[MissMagAddict]

For me *Tom Ford* is always the most interesting part. Not the work.

 

[Squizree]

He was made for L.A.
Nobody pulls off gaudy and pretentious like Tom Ford.

I do agree, though, that his brand does seem rather directionless, given his history. But he is much more an accessories giant than a runway one. I can't see many people outside of California buying his clothing.

The East Coast has Marc Jacobs and the South has Ralph Lauren. Glad Tom is embracing his inner rubbish-gay.

 

[Lola701]

He was made for L.A.
Nobody pulls off gaudy and pretentious like Tom Ford.

I do agree, though, that his brand does seem rather directionless, given his history. But he is much more an accessories giant than a runway one. I can't see many people outside of California buying his clothing.

The East Coast has Marc Jacobs and the South has Ralph Lauren. Glad Tom is embracing his inner rubbish-gay.

The irony of that collection is that with what’s going on in the world, people working from home, no Redcarpet events, the « new world »...This collection is after all quite relevant!
Cashmere sweatpants are now a luxurious alternative to what people all over the world, wore during quarantine. The styling, as weird as it is isn’t that ridiculous anymore.
This collection suddenly has a sense of emergency.

My « rant » was mainly due to the fact that the women who wears Tom Ford outside of the entertainment industry are somehow matching the style of their men (who wears suits or chic separates). And nobody can say that the menswear isn’t elevated. And people are buying his clothes. I mean I’ve seen more people wearing Tom Ford than any « big American brand ».

I must admit that now, I’m more than curious to see what his next collection would look like.
Now that there’s no Hollywood, maybe he will go back to what made him a star in the first place.

 

[Gre]

Great show & collection in my opinion! It’s kind of a change, with shapes and brighter colors!

 

[GIVENCHYlover]

His thread in The fashion pack isn't very popular, so I'll post this here...


From US Vogue September 2020 - What is the future of fashion?

The thing about fashion is that we never really know where it is going to go until a few months before it starts to move. Who would have thought six months ago that we would be where we are now with COVID-19 and the social upheaval that we are experiencing? Obviously this will affect fashion dramatically. People are not going out— they need a different wardrobe than they needed when they were living a more social and public life. We are also living through a global recession, and that too has altered the minds and the bank accounts of consumers. And on top of that, there is a kind of global psychological depression taking place.
This means that products need to be either highly practical and more casual, or they need to make you smile—things that are a bit quirky and could seem frivolous but have the effect of cheering up the consumer. This is not the moment for ostentation; it’s the moment for sleek, easy chic—the kind of clothes that you might wear to a quiet dinner at a friend’s house. But let’s also remember that after the Spanish-flu pandemic, we had the Roaring Twenties. It is human nature to self-adorn and to want to show off and express one’s personality and mood through clothing. Fashion is a pendulum. The restraint of today will lead to the excesses of tomorrow.
I believe that this moment has driven home something that we have been aware of for many years but not acted on in the way that we should have: Our industry needs to be representative of the world at large, which is increasingly integrated and diverse. We have all lagged behind what has actually been happening in the world. We need to connect the enormous talent in the Black community with positions that are available across all aspects of the fashion industry.
- Tom Ford, Designer and Chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America​