Tom Ford F/W 2024.25 Milan

[style_expert]

While I found his debut collection a bit stronger, this was still enjoyable to watch for the most part.
Only, please please please hire a new casting director. The mostly terrible casting was really taking away from the confidence these clothes are meant to exude. I'm sure they can afford a little bit more star power (and I don't mean Naomi!)....With girls like Imaan and Natasha Poly in town, it's almost criminal not to cast them in a show like Tom Ford.

 

[Phuel]

I love that collection, I love the energy of that show and I think it’s a collection that has aged wonderfully. But it’s not even fair coming from me because there’s only 2 collections I didn’t liked from his Gucci and one that I have always found a bit lackluster for his YSL (SS2004. The eveningwear was fabulous, the color palette too but very hard to wear for the most part).

Funny that you didn’t liked when Tom did tributes. I absolutely love his Betty Catroux YSL collection. Those pantsuits! A dream!

I think that Tom Ford should have an European designer at the helm. That’s why I had so much faith in Peter. I have always found him quite dapper, his wife can dress and I thought he had it in him.
I’ll give him time that being said.
Alexandre Vauthier for me! He has that flamboyance, that sense of fun, the technicality and he was supposed to work with Tom at YSL before he quit.

And you are right, Tom early days were great. He created a lane for himself. His collections from SS 2011 and Fall 2013 had a very distinctive flair. I think unfortunately, he lacked the confidence of a Hedi Slimane to push his vision.
Fall 2012 was fantastic for example.

On top of the lack of confidence, there was a lack of consistency. I bought pieces from the spring 2015 collection but when you look at the fall 2015 collection, it’s so weird to imagine that it’s the same vision of a woman. Then the fun came back in spring 2016…

Whereas in the menswear department, the very dapper look has evolved gradually into a more casual look overtime.

Tom lacked confidence and therefore maybe lacked interest with everything that was happening in his private life. His last few collections were recreations of his Gucci days in an attempt to reclaim what Michele was doing and pushing the athleisure because the big commercial hit in womenswear became those silk sets he introduced during the pandemic..

But no, NO Laquan! The last 2 looks of this FW2024 are in fact an achieved version of Laquan.

LOL LaQuan isn’t afraid to be tacky, vulgar, and even trashy at the expense of taking a stumble— of which he did for his current offering… Although, maybe he’s still mistaken those characteristics for sexy…

Peter on the other hand, ought to know way way way better. And yet with his contributions that aren’t rooted in the Tom Ford’s Gucci references, he’s giving tacky and trashy— and unfortunately doesn’t have the conviction to pull off vulgar. LaQuan has the confidence and conviction to pull off vulgar. BTW, in no way am I advocating for LaQuan to head Tom Ford LOL ...I'm just convinced by LaQuan's passion. Not Peter's.

Peter is capable of carrying the menswear, of which— let’s be frank, was never some astounding design vision under the Tom Ford label, anyway: Just keep the menswear pace at the tailored and swish aesthetic, with the occasional camp accents, and the line will steadily chug away (…supported by the fragrance line that so many men fawn over). The women’s… that’s where the seams are loose, sloppy, and coming undone with Peter: He’s just nowhere on that level of talent and vision. Alexandre would be the ideal candidate of course, to push the Tom Ford sensibility to new grounds, even heights. Right now, it’s rather… Michael Kors doing Tom Ford. And unfortunately in this current fashion climate, that’s likely what the handlers want.

Simply visionary how every single look, every single separate, every single accessory, in this collection, has become essentials to modern dressing nearly 30 years later:

 

[tricotineacetat]

Maybe it's my own sensibility in menswear design, but I would rather have a more quiet and polite designer coming from that world, who brings all the utility, attention to the small details often overseen in womenswear design in favor of making the big impactful statement, rather than a flights-of-fancy womenswear designer who brings the flamboyance of the runway but without the fully fleshed-out product that you actually want to buy. Jil Sander had that rare understanding in womenswear as she was always very much inspired by menswear tailoring and that made the placement of buttons, darting, the shape of lapels etc. all the more thought-out on her designs.

That's perhaps why I would rather have 20 years of Hedi Slimane staying in the same lane or endless shows of trenchcoats from Christopher Bailey at Burberry in more or less similar silhouettes than the shock tactics that other people employ to deliver 'the news' of the season. The average womenswear customer might be looking more for the newness factor but I kind of like the idea that as a menswear designer, Peter is slowing down on that for Tom Ford womenswear, proposing something that has lasting value within the world of Tom Ford - It's not hard to imagine a lot of these clothes looking as good as they do now when you pull them out of the closet in 10 or 15 years, and I say that with the assuredness of mostly wearing and purchasing designer garments that date back more or less that time myself.

 

[kasper!]

From my SA

 

[Salvatore]

Looks better on the mannequins than on the runway, interestingly enough.

 

[lhhbl]

From my SA

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I live for this last look

 

[lookatme]

Looks better on the mannequins than on the runway, interestingly enough.

Agreed. And that’s because models today are worthless.

 

[Salvatore]

Agreed. And that’s because models today are worthless.

I will have to agree with this. Casting directors are too busy trying to be inclusive and the designers are going along with it, not realizing their brands are being diluted. Same for the show producers producing these long and complicated runway setups. The fashion at fashion shows these days is getting lost.

I actually like the pieces more now and don't think this collection is all that bad.

 

[Cocteau Stone]

Oh those mannequins look so suave and so handsome. The lighting as well has made the gold buttons more bearable.

I do think the other core issue was the styling when it came to makeup and hair for the show, particularly the hair. Great to have all the models hair be as it may, but it made many of the neckline areas look stuffy and fussy because of all the hair around or near it. Should have been more out of the way across the board.

Suppose the natural hair was to bring more natural character to the looks, when really it got in the way especially when most of the models failed to bring anything to the clothes.

 

[disco54]

The fact the clothes look great on the hangers than on the models goes to show how important casting the right models is! Tom Ford models are confident sultry beautiful women not awkward homeless looking teenagers , that might work with Hedi Slimane not at Tom Ford.

 

[MulletProof]

^ still can't get over the one that ruined the silver dress by trying to get her leg to exit through the slit of the dress (!!) so she could walk. Very 'so I guess this is the dress wearing me' filler model mentality. You wear the dress and walk on the runway like you own it.

I live for this last look

Same! it's soo...💎💎

 

[LadyJunon]

Design

I think that Tom Ford should have an European designer at the helm. That’s why I had so much faith in Peter. I have always found him quite dapper, his wife can dress and I thought he had it in him.
I’ll give him time that being said.
Alexandre Vauthier for me! He has that flamboyance, that sense of fun, the technicality and he was supposed to work with Tom at YSL before he quit.

And you are right, Tom early days were great. He created a lane for himself. His collections from SS 2011 and Fall 2013 had a very distinctive flair. I think unfortunately, he lacked the confidence of a Hedi Slimane to push his vision.
Fall 2012 was fantastic for example.

On top of the lack of confidence, there was a lack of consistency. I bought pieces from the spring 2015 collection but when you look at the fall 2015 collection, it’s so weird to imagine that it’s the same vision of a woman. Then the fun came back in spring 2016…

Whereas in the menswear department, the very dapper look has evolved gradually into a more casual look overtime.

Tom lacked confidence and therefore maybe lacked interest with everything that was happening in his private life. His last few collections were recreations of his Gucci days in an attempt to reclaim what Michele was doing and pushing the athleisure because the big commercial hit in womenswear became those silk sets he introduced during the pandemic..

You hit the nail right on the head. My main issue with Tom Ford by Ford was the lack of consistency. His earlier collections were very defined, but after 2015, his vision just seems to flip-flop each season. He does restabilise for his return of NYFW, it's short lived due to the pandemic, followed by Buckley's death. I think that selling on a strong, solid identity is the goal Zegna has with Tom Ford, especially with the appointement of a designer like Hawkings, and I imagine that Gucci '95-'99 is the perfect foundation.

Maybe it's my own sensibility in menswear design, but I would rather have a more quiet and polite designer coming from that world, who brings all the utility, attention to the small details often overseen in womenswear design in favor of making the big impactful statement, rather than a flights-of-fancy womenswear designer who brings the flamboyance of the runway but without the fully fleshed-out product that you actually want to buy. Jil Sander had that rare understanding in womenswear as she was always very much inspired by menswear tailoring and that made the placement of buttons, darting, the shape of lapels etc. all the more thought-out on her designs.

That's perhaps why I would rather have 20 years of Hedi Slimane staying in the same lane or endless shows of trenchcoats from Christopher Bailey at Burberry in more or less similar silhouettes than the shock tactics that other people employ to deliver 'the news' of the season. The average womenswear customer might be looking more for the newness factor but I kind of like the idea that as a menswear designer, Peter is slowing down on that for Tom Ford womenswear, proposing something that has lasting value within the world of Tom Ford - It's not hard to imagine a lot of these clothes looking as good as they do now when you pull them out of the closet in 10 or 15 years, and I say that with the assuredness of mostly wearing and purchasing designer garments that date back more or less that time myself.

I love it when a designer serves a good flight-of-fancy, but I hate it when it's so disconnected from the final offering. Recent years has given me so much fatigue of designers who can't translate their visions into wearable garments. I think that when Gen Z starts entering the workforce, they're looking for clothes that actually function as clothes. Hawking's Tom Ford could offer that, but with the sensual, hyperfeminine undercurrent that Gen Z women are already drawn towards.

I will have to agree with this. Casting directors are too busy trying to be inclusive and the designers are going along with it, not realizing their brands are being diluted. Same for the show producers producing these long and complicated runway setups. The fashion at fashion shows these days is getting lost.

I actually like the pieces more now and don't think this collection is all that bad.

The fact the clothes look great on the hangers than on the models goes to show how important casting the right models is! Tom Ford models are confident sultry beautiful women not awkward homeless looking teenagers , that might work with Hedi Slimane not at Tom Ford.

The casting has the needed energy, but so many of them lacked the needed grace, that the energy becomes useless. The shoes seemed kinda tricky on the newer models too. I didn't mind the staging though, mostly because it's just a row of lights for the most part. I think that the bigger setups is a consequence of guestlists going up from a couple hundred to a thousand. Helmut Lang's "seances de travail" setup couldn't happen today.

Oh those mannequins look so suave and so handsome. The lighting as well has made the gold buttons more bearable.

I do think the other core issue was the styling when it came to makeup and hair for the show, particularly the hair. Great to have all the models hair be as it may, but it made many of the neckline areas look stuffy and fussy because of all the hair around or near it. Should have been more out of the way across the board.

Suppose the natural hair was to bring more natural character to the looks, when really it got in the way especially when most of the models failed to bring anything to the clothes.

I liked the 70s hair, but I agree that it fought with the necklines. Personally, I would've tied back the front and straightened the loose hair.

 

[jeremydante]

I liked the collection, and had fun deciphering which were archival gucci references and which his YSL-esque moments. Tom has so many layers in his archival referencing; From his own namesake stuff here, to obvious and inescapable Gucci influence that continues to endure- the staging and lighting was top tier.

I want to see those Tom Ford faves in the campaigns. You know the girls.

 

[Nimsay]

whew the lapels on that last jacket are dated and tired. This whole look is. Who wants to look like a sexed out 70s p*rn star.

 

[jeanclaude]

Even though the collection keeps being nothing out of the ordinary, it looks waaay better with the mannequins and the showroom light.

 

[MulletProof]

I hate the fact that those tiered ruffled pieces have been "hemmed" just with pinking sheers, so no wonder their fit and flow looks off. They're bit of an afterthought, or perhaps a hasty decision.

Went back to this and it's doing something to me.. just the thought of wearing it makes me anxious.



At quick glance, I figured it was little nod to Tom's fringe dress from his Gucci days..

[firstview]

.. but this is more like an odd assortment of repurposed bloomers.

 

[Cocteau Stone]

^ Right? And the lengths of the tiers aren't even right to overlap each other nicely. They just keep getting stuck onto the bulky stitch line like a weird wedgie.

They must have done all these layers beforehand and tacked them onto the underlay flat rather than checking them on the stand or the body because it's just so ill at ease.

 

[tricotineacetat]

Except for the black velvet section closing the show, I don't think the dresses in this collection were very accomplished, except maybe for the sleeveless one in mauve, which was technically knitwear - No surprise there, as fluid dressmaking is pretty much the polar opposite approach from tailoring and I will yet have to see a designer mastering both disciplines equally well, especially when they only just started designing womenswear (and vice versa) - One look at Raf Simons' humble beginnings at Jil Sander womenswear or more recently Olivier Theyskens' attempts doing menswear at Azzaro make for good examples in that regard. We will also yet have to see proper dressmaking at a house like Lemaire whose interpretations in that department usually come from a tunic, a shirtdress or sweater dress.

 

[LadyJunon]

I really liked this collection when I first saw it, but looking back after seeing Saint Laurent and Courrèges, it looks like nothing.

One look at Raf Simons' humble beginnings at Jil Sander womenswear or more recently Olivier Theyskens' attempts doing menswear at Azzaro make for good examples in that regard. We will also yet have to see proper dressmaking at a house like Lemaire whose interpretations in that department usually come from a tunic, a shirtdress or sweater dress.

I always thought that Theyskens' issue with Azzaro was having to deal with the more limited scope of menswear. His women's tailoring was always quite chic and accomplished, especially at Theory. Agree on Raf and Lemaire though, Lemaire's dresses are awful.

 

[WeSniffInVipArea]

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