Tom Ford : Life after Gucci

[Chanelcouture09]

net-a-porter partners with tom ford on e-commerce exclusive
by jessica iredale

net-a-porter’s momentum with big brand luxury exclusives is in full swing.

The e-commerce site is partnering with tom ford as the first online retailer of his men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections. Ford currently sells his collections in 110 of his own boutiques and brick-and-mortar department stores globally, and has his own e-commerce site, tomford.com, which carries the designer’s men’s and women’s accessories as well as beauty — and only ships to the u.s.

Ford’s rtw line will launch in july on net-a-porter and in september on mr porter.

“net-a-porter is extremely strong in selling designer merchandise online and obviously tom ford ready-to-wear online, bags and shoes is a massive draw for our customer,” said sarah rutson, net-a-porter’s vice president of global buying. “we’ve got a proven track record of selling at this level, especially brands that either have very limited e-commerce themselves or no e-commerce.”

in april, net-a-porter rolled out chanel fine jewelry called coco crush — the first time the brand sold online. Ruston said it was an important door-opener with the luxury e-commerce holdouts. There are more exclusives in the works, but rutson couldn’t disclose at this time. Toby bateman, the buying director of mr porter, said brunello cucinelli would be signing on in july. Bateman said the tom ford deal happened before the coco crush initiative, and was a result of an ongoing dialogue between ford and natalie massenet, net-a-porter’s founder and chairman.

“there’s been a broadening of the collection that tom ford is offering,” said bateman, noting the fall and spring 2015 shows. “there’s been a surprising element of sportswear in those collections. That evolution is something that again makes the timing right to work with a company like mr porter. Not only will we be stocking the signature three-piece business suit and tuxedo program, but we’ll also be stocking really the strong denim program, too.”

for women’s, net-a-porter will stock an edited buy of fall rtw, including leather military jackets, patchwork maxiskirts, evening column gowns, embroidered dresses and denim and suede pieces, as well as women’s shoes, accessories, cosmetics and fragrance collections. They will carry a selection of tom ford signature fragrances, the tom ford neroli portofino collection and for the u.s. Market, items from the color collection, including an initial offering of the tom ford beauty fall 2015 runway look.

Mr porter will carry fall rtw including tailoring, formalwear, luxury casualwear, shoes, accessories and grooming collections.

Rutson said one of the benefits of selling on a multibrand platform is that brands are exposed to new customers. But it’s also simply a sign of the times.

“the brands are now absolutely in realization that, once upon a luxury, customers wanted to buy in-store. They wanted to touch and feel in their environment,” rutson said. “it has nothing to do with whether it’s luxury or not. The customer today doesn’t have those ideologies. You don’t have to go to a monobrand boutique to purchase. They’re totally nuanced in buying online.”

*wwd

 

[GIVENCHYlover]

Grat news

 

[Nymphaea]

The Edit: The TOM Commandments

Dress with mystery and don’t rule out black for a wedding: the designer known as the King of Sex, TOM FORD, shares 10 of his ultimate style rules with KAY BARRON.

1 Don't let fashion dictate to you
I always feel a little sad when I see a woman head-to-toe in a runway look. Women also change their hair a lot, but if it’s done in an insecure way, that makes me feel sad, too. You need to make what you are wearing your own.

2 never try to be overtly sexy
I’m more interested in a little bit of mystery. Maybe it’s my age… Or maybe it’s because the women in my life are starting to wear stockings now because they think the skin on their legs isn’t as good as it used to be!

3 Find your uniform
If you have five outfits that you love wearing and always make you feel your best, which are comfortable and confident and just work, why do you need all the others? Yes, you need some variations on the theme – you don’t want to wear the exact same clothes every day – but I think it’s very important for everyone to figure out what their look is.

4 remember: sexiness is about confidence
Sexiness comes from the way you move and the way you handle yourself. It doesn’t come from short skirts and low-cut tops.

5 Reassess your style every five years
Bodies change, looks change, everything changes, so every five years you need to take off all your clothes and reassess yourself. Try your clothes on and see what still works and what should be rethought – not in an emotional way but in a detached way. Also, do it on your own, because it’s not about what your friends or partner think, it’s about how you feel.

6 Make an effort
No matter what your personal style, people have to look at you in the same way they have to look at a building, or a piece of art, or a table, or a new car. You become a part of the photograph, the landscape, someone’s vision.

7don’t believe you need wardrobe essentials...
It isn’t about owning a classic white shirt or a black blazer – I know women who wear that and look like they’re doing a chic androgynous thing, and other women who look immediately like they work on Wall Street. It’s about your own taste; camouflaging the things you don’t like and accentuating the things you do.

8...but everyone needs at least one LBD
Because you never know when you’re going to have to go to a funeral, or a job interview, or a last-minute wedding (maybe you’re not supposed to wear black to weddings, but I would). It’s perfect for everything: you can wear it with sandals and it’s a summer look; with a heel, it’s an evening look. Long, short, fitted, loose, it’s such a key piece. It is always chic.

9 Don’t underestimate the power of makeup
By changing your makeup you can channel the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s, ’50s, ’60s... You can do everything with beauty because it’s the character; it’s who you are. I find that fascinating. There was a trend a couple of years ago that saw women dressed casually in jeans, T-shirts and sneakers with mega makeup – I loved it. It’s a great way to express yourself that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have a lot of money.

10 Focus on a feature
I don’t like to see a major lip and a major eye statement [at the same time]. I think if you’re going to accentuate your eyes, great, but then you need a neutral lip. If you’re going to do a bold red lip, it looks the best with almost nothing on your eyes, except maybe a little bit of mascara. I really like to see one makeup statement and just beautiful, glowing skin.

net-a-porter

 

[cheepmunk]

That's surprisingly sensible advice. Did he really say with a straight face that women should not try to be overtly sexy?

I’m more interested in a little bit of mystery. Maybe it’s my age… Or maybe it’s because the women in my life are starting to wear stockings now because they think the skin on their legs isn’t as good as it used to be!

Also, this sounds so unbelievably obnoxious and condescending to me, and yet I can't help but be entertained by him every time he's quoted.

In conclusion, shut up, Tom Ford, and stop making me like you.

 

[Lola701]

That's surprisingly sensible advice. Did he really say with a straight face that women should not try to be overtly sexy?



Also, this sounds so unbelievably obnoxious and condescending to me, and yet I can't help but be entertained by him every time he's quoted.

In conclusion, shut up, Tom Ford, and stop making me like you.

Tom fashion has never been about being overtly sexy. He may use the power of sex but it's not just "sexy clothes". His clothes are not easy to wear. You don't just wear Tom Ford to be "sexy". It's much more about being confident and knowing our style.

And from what i've seen (and as a customer myself), his clients are not about being overtly sexy. SS2015 was much more about an attitude than overt sex.

 

[cheepmunk]

It’s so funny that you said that, because I feel like S/S 2015 was one of his more overtly sexy collections yet. Heh, we probably have different definitions of overtly sexy. I remember a lot of sparkly pasties from that collection. Where is the mystery (to use his own words) in that?

I think he does produce the type of clothes that you describe – powerful and confident – and I appreciate that he’s one of the few designers who go that route when designing for women. But I don’t think that aesthetic and overtly sexy are mutually exclusive, though they’re not always synonymous either. Sometimes his clothes are both, sometimes one or the other. I felt that his S/S 15 collection did have the attitude you describe, but sometimes the clothes overwhelmed it. (Or maybe it was the models. Don't get me started on the models.)

There’s nothing wrong with overtly sexy clothes, and I reject the idea that overtly sexy = trashy (not to imply that that is what you were saying, but just as a clarification of what I mean), so when I say his clothes are overtly sexy, I don’t mean it as an insult. But it’s hilarious to me that, especially in light of the S/S 2015 collection, he of all people would put it on his list of things not to wear. What were the pasties and some of those tops if not overtly sexy?

 

[Chanelcouture09]

 

[GIVENCHYlover]

Tom Ford will be staging his first men’s catwalk at LCM this January

Big news out of BFC HQ this morning: Tom Ford will be putting on his first-ever men's show at London Collections Men this coming January. Following seasons of slick, appointment-only presentations at his head office, the American designer will be setting his models loose on a catwalk for autumn/winter 2016 - something he's never done before for his men's line anywhere in the world. Needless to say, we're already chomping at the bit to see what he's got in store. That said, we'll all have to contain our excitement for a little while longer as it's been placed as the final show of the four day menswear festival - a suitably superb climax for the season.

However, that's not the only shake-up on the schedule. Of course big names like Burberry, Coach and Alexander McQueen are back for another round, but this year they're joined once again by Moschino and Pringle of Scotland - both bringing their shows back to the capital. And with the closure of the Old Sorting Office (RIP), there's also a new venue to explore: 180 Strand (aka a gargantuan, Brutalist building, formerly the Deloitte headquarters).

gq-magazine.co.uk

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Thanks for the article, GIVENCHYlover.

You know, at this point I don’t really care where Tom’s showing— either it’s his menswear, or womenswear. Because, he’s proven that with his own label, it’s the clothes in his shops that consistently impress— not the hyper-stylized versions on the runway. He’s just not that same designer he was when he reigned with Gucci. And that's a good thing to me: People evolve, change, and so do designers.

Seeing, touching and wearing his clothes in reality is where it counts for me whenTom's concerned Aside from the gaudy tuxedo jackets that have (unfortunately) become a staple, signature piece from his menswear, I’m always impressed (and even drooling) when I see his menswear offerings in the flesh (in the cloth?).

I don’t care for celebrities modeling his clothes ‘cause the last thing I want is to be wearing is the same suit/jacket/coat that Kanye or whomever’s the flavour-of-the-season will be associated with in GQ… If anything, that’s a repellent rather than an attraction because none of these people have any style, as far as I’m concerned.

 

[Lola701]

^^^ Thanks for the article, GIVENCHYlover.

You know, at this point I don’t really care where Tom’s showing— either it’s his menswear, or womenswear. Because, he’s proven that with his own label, it’s the clothes in his shops that consistently impress— not the hyper-stylized versions on the runway. He’s just not that same designer he was when he reigned with Gucci. And that's a good thing to me: People evolve, change, and so do designers.

Seeing, touching and wearing his clothes in reality is where it counts for me whenTom's concerned Aside from the gaudy tuxedo jackets that have (unfortunately) become a staple, signature piece from his menswear, I’m always impressed (and even drooling) when I see his menswear offerings in the flesh (in the cloth?).

I don’t care for celebrities modeling his clothes ‘cause the last thing I want is to be wearing is the same suit/jacket/coat that Kanye or whomever’s the flavour-of-the-season will be associated with in GQ… If anything, that’s a repellent rather than an attraction because none of these people have any style, as far as I’m concerned.

Totally but i've have to say that i'm enjoying more buying his womenswear since he started doing catwalk shows. His spring 2015 was just beyond good. I could have bought the entire collection (no pasties ).

What you said about the celebrities is so right. That's why i believe so many mens/women are faithful to his clothes.

But i think it was time for him to take his menswear to another level...even if part of him believe that this decision is influenced by the production of his movie. Between the menswear, the oscar season, the womenswear and then his movie promo tour, 2016 will be a very busy year for him.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Oooohhhh yes, I do adore that collection (except for the Vegas-stripper shoes) and the Rock-chic imagery: Wise investment, Lola! There was a tease of his Gucci-days there, which I don’t mind from time to time as long as he builds from that rather than just repeat— like so many designers will do. For me, Tom's outlived the hype and the gimmicks, and has maintained his place in high fashion's parthenon.

People can accuse him of being irrelevant all they want, but I always get the impression that it’s usually people who are going by what they see on the interweb rather than making the effort to see his designs up close and personal in his shops.

(A Singel Man remains so good, I hope the new film will succeed on the same level again: Storytelling, characterization, soundtrack, styling and cinematography. Although, Jake being the lead is what’s holding me back from squealing for this new film. Just don’t like him.)

 

[arlekindearrabal]

^^^ Oooohhhh yes, I do adore that collection (except for the Vegas-stripper shoes) and the Rock-chic imagery: Wise investment, Lola! There was a tease of his Gucci-days there, which I don’t mind from time to time as long as he builds from that rather than just repeat— like so many designers will do. For me, Tom's outlived the hype and the gimmicks, and has maintained his place in high fashion's parthenon.

People can accuse him of being irrelevant all they want, but I always get the impression that it’s usually people who are going by what they see on the interweb rather than making the effort to see his designs up close and personal in his shops.

(A Singel Man remains so good, I hope the new film will succeed on the same level again: Storytelling, characterization, soundtrack, styling and cinematography. Although, Jake being the lead is what’s holding me back from squealing for this new film. Just don’t like him.)

Same. He does not strike me as a Tom Ford man, at all. Will have to wait and see.

 

[dior_couture1245]

People can accuse him of being irrelevant all they want, but I always get the impression that it’s usually people who are going by what they see on the interweb rather than making the effort to see his designs up close and personal in his shops.

Exactly. His clothes are impeccable in person. The finest fabrics, the finest leathers, the finest embroideries, the finest craftsmanship, and the finest finishing on the market, in my opinion. Hermes-level quality. The man knows luxury. I would challenge any of his naysayers - men or women - to not want to leave his stores with a shopping cart full of product.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Yeah— and they actually fit a man’s body well— not just an eighteen-year-old model’s body, but those of us not blessed with being 6’2”, long legs and still a size Eur 48. Unless you’re one of those that prefer pants to shorten your legs and shirts that droop your shoulders to a non-existence-- for a fashion statement, then of course Tom’s designs would be completely irrelevant to you.

arlekindearrabal: Looks aside— and Jake's face does instantly reminds me too much of a mudskipper fish with his googly eyes and freakishly wide mouth, he’s not a bad actor but he just gives off a creepy vibe to me. And creepy is just not something I associate with the Tom Ford brand LOL

Now if Henry Cavill was the lead…

 

[Creative]

One can be irrelevant yet can have an impeccable product. Two different things. Alaïa is the perfect example. Tom Ford is totally irrelevant yet he has good products in stores.

Tom Ford was relevant more than a decade before. Right now he isn't (just as 98% of the designers). It's not bad. Tfsers can't deal with reality...

 

[dior_couture1245]

^^I don't think any of us would deny that Tom isn't the industry leader he once was, but I still would give him credit for making fantastic product - and for being adaptable and clever...all the bitching and moaning about too many seasons and too many collections and designer burnout and too many shows, etc. Tom seems to be one of the few who actually seems to be open to and interested in alternative ways of presenting his work.

TFS'ers have difficulty dealing with reality? If I remember correctly, you seemed to have a hard time with the reality that Kendall Jenner would have a Vogue Paris cover...

 

[Creative]

TFS'ers have difficulty dealing with reality? If I remember correctly, you seemed to have a hard time with the reality that Kendall Jenner would have a Vogue Paris cover...

No. I accept it. She's relevant. But she's not a legend.

Tom is not relevant. Tom is a legend. Tom has great products.

Voilà.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ That's a very good point, Creative.

I suppose I’m at a point in my life where I greatly prefer to look more timeless than on-point trendy.

It’s so cringe-inducing to me to see a photo where you can clearly tell the year (even the month LOL) simply by how the individuals look/ dress. In that sense, someone like Tom is much more relevant to me— even if he may be irrelevant in the current state of high fashion. I’m fine with that.

 

[Creative]

It’s so cringe-inducing to me to see a photo where you can clearly tell the year (even the month LOL) simply by how the individuals look/ dress.

But it's been like that for more than a hundred years. I can tell the exact year of a garment just by looking at a decontextualized picture. If it has hair and make-up it's even easier. And when I'm wrong it's just by two or three years. Even in Tom Ford's case you can tell it.

The point is that he has no voice in the fashion industry anymore. But it's not a problem. I don't really get why people take that as an offense. He's the new Bill Blass of American fashion. Or the new de La Renta. Or the new Norell. He has his style and that's it. No designer in the world looks at his work and is inspired by it. He doesn't create trends. He's just there doing what he wants to do.

And I'd say he is a little bit lost. It's like he is testing everything, taking shots in the dark... First a private show in NY, then presentations, then London, the L.A, then STREAMING a collection, then a music video, then... I don't know. It's like he has no credibility anymore. And his clothes from a 'fashion' point are really nothing. You go to the store and be like because there are great individual pieces, well-design by his team, perfectly crafted... but as a whole his womenswear line doesn't make sense. At least to me. His menswear is another thing.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ That’s just it for me. His shows nowadays are irrelevant, and I don’t care where he’s showing and who’s in his shows at this point. The clothes in the shops are what I’m interested in because I can wear them my way and they fit seamlessly into my existing wardrobe, and into my life— not as styled by the brand. The pitch, the gimmick, the branding is completely irrelevant to me, and he doesn’t need to do that anymore: I’m beyond sold.

No doubt he’s been floundering with his Tom Ford presentaions where once during his Gucci reign, the designs, the campaigns, the shows and the attitude was visionary. Although, when he does stumble into a decent production— as in his women’s S/S runway presentation, and the S/S 2016 video, it’s still good and a humble addition to his legend.

(And it’s good to see Tom have a bit of fun, like in the video.)