Tom Ford (Designer)[1]

8/18/2019 Tom Ford (Designer)[1]

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Tom Ford, el hombre más allá de laleyenda


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Tom Ford nació en Austin (Texas) el 27 deagosto de 1961. Estudió para serarquitecto y decorador de interiores, su


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temprana ocación !ue ser actor, pro"ó suertecomo director de cine #sólo un largometra$e%asta el momento, A Single Man#, pero alcanzó la fama mundial como diseñador

de moda.

Al frente de Gucci y de Yes !aint"aurent, Tom Ford reolucionó el modo deentender la moda. &a se#ualidad m's

elegantemente explcita !ue aadida a unnueo concepto de mercado y su ecuación setradu$o en un *xito #de enta, y de p+"lico#planetario.

n -ucci consiguió ue la marca #tocada y

de/citaria# de pasara del 0 al 100 como si setratara del me$or de los Ferraris. omenicoe ole #su socio, y la otra mitad del t'ndemde *xito en la diisión de negocios#comenta"a ue cuando Tom llegó a -uccitodo era marrón, redondo y "lando3 cuando *l

salió todo era ne%ro, cuadrado y duro. 4orno mentar las ganacias, ue pasaron de unaempresa alorada en 250 millones de dólares

http://www.gucci.com/es/homehttp://www.ysl.eu/en_GB#!%7B%22countrycode%22:%22ES%22%7Dhttp://www.ysl.eu/en_GB#!%7B%22countrycode%22:%22ES%22%7Dhttp://www.gucci.com/es/homehttp://www.ysl.eu/en_GB#!%7B%22countrycode%22:%22ES%22%7Dhttp://www.ysl.eu/en_GB#!%7B%22countrycode%22:%22ES%22%7D


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a la escandalosa ci!ra de 5 "illones(anglosa$ones).

En Y!" trazó un plan de mar&etin% quefuncionaba #el "anco de prue"as %a"a sido-ucci# y lo adaptó a la maison parisiense m'sso/sticada. a$o su inu$o, aint &aurentdestila"a una re/nada sexualidad ue reportócuantiosos diidendos.

n la actualidad, Ford ha uelto sobre elcamino del diseño con su propia 'rma.

Tom Ford #la marca# empe8ó siendo un oasisde "elle8a suprema, con un amplio cat'logode per!umes y mauilla$e. &a /rma creció en

o!erta, %asta conertirse en el paladn delgentleman contempor'neo. iseos de impecable factura con acabados y

materiales e#quisitos. Ford no tardó endarle la r*plica a las colecciones para mu$er.iseos ue "e"en de una est*tica en clara

inuencia so"re la d*cada de los setenta peroue "a$o su "atuta re8uman una sexualidadmagn*tica.

http://www.tomford.com/http://www.tomford.com/


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actuación. se acercó a las o/cinas de

?at%y ;ard@ic en la 7t% Aenue. ?on unport!olio de"a$o del "ra8o, Tom consiguió suprimer tra"a$o en un atelier de moda.

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Tom Ford se mudó a 4ars, y empe8ó a

tra"a$ar para las o/cinas de ?%lo*. n calidadde aprendi8, el $oen Ford ordena"a armarios,coloca"a las perc%as, %aca pedidos, etc. 4eroun contrato me$or en 4erry llis lo puso de


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uelta en =orteam*rica. ;astiado con losderroteros ue toma"a su la"or, olió auropa, Cun lugar imprescindi"le para tra"a$aren una /rma de modaD comenta"a Tom a TheNew York Times.

1990 # 200E

o8ando la treintena, Tom Ford ocupó el sillónde la casa -ucci. n una mtica casa italianaconsagrada a los accesorios y los artculos depiel, todo esta"a por %acer. Tanto es as ue%asta 199E #momento de la primeracolección# su tra"a$o consistió en poner /rmeuna trastienda etusta y apolillada. l primer

cometido de Ford en -ucci !ue romper todaslas normas ue se %a"an esta"lecido. =adade %a"lar con la prensa, nada de salir asaludar al terminar el des/le, etc. Axiomasue, por supuesto, Tom destruyó al instante.4ara su tercera colección #esa ue supone el

empu$ón de/nitio# en 1996, Ford de$óentreer los pilares so"re los ue se i"a aasentar su trayectoriaG esculturales estidos"lancos ue potencia"an la silueta !emenina y


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$uga"an a la proocación con troueladossinuosos en !orma de C-D. l estri"o, el @e"#la tri"anda ro$a y erde#, el Flora, etc. &asinsignias de la /rma se conertan enaccesorios imprescindi"les dentro delecosistema fashion3 si "ien todos %a"an sido"endecidos con el guio Ford. escató el aire%ippie, y "a$ó el talle del pantalón de la

cintura a la cadera, al tiempo ue ensanc%a"ala pata. l escote, en las camisas de seda, seolió incre"lemente atractio y pro!undo. nla retina, todaa presente,


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m's ue asegurado y m's ue garanti8ado. Tiempo para dar el salto a 4ars. >es aint&aurent !ue la segunda /rma ue Tom Ford#siempre con omenico e ole, esa ca"e8adotada para el negocio# regentó. Aduiridapor el d+o #despu*s sera a"sor"ida por 44,el conglomerado de empresas de lu$o deFranKois#;enri 4inault# Tom tomó las riendas

del diseo. i en un principio pareca reinar lacordialidad entre el créateur >es y Tom Ford,las desaenencias entre am"os se %icieron"ien p+"licas a misias del !rances alamericano. 4ero el sueo de Tom eraimpara"le, y su receta #sexual# del *xito

tam"i*n encontró "uena acogida en elcora8ón de la capital del ena. Hol+menes,olantes y potentes escotes ue dialoga"ancon el icono de la casa ue m's eces reisitó

Tom Ford, el esmouin. n 200E llegó el /n.e la era Tom Ford en -ucci y de la era Tom

Ford en >es aint &aurent. l diseador sedespidió de am"as /rmas con un sentidotri"uto al legato. n aint &aurent reisitó losarc%ios de la colección inspirada en ?%ina


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ue presentó >es en 1997, el ao dellan8amiento de Lpium, todo un bestseller enmateria de !ragancias. n -ucci miró %acia lospropios y cerró el des/le con la misma modelo#-eorgina -renile#, con el mismo tema #LoveTheme, de &oe nlimited# y con cuatroestidos "lancos #inspirados en suspropuestas de 1996, la colección ue le

consagró#. > tras el *xito, el aco. Tom Forddesinó el ritmo de su or'gine la"oral y porel camino se encontró con una depresión yalgunos oda tonics #su cóctel !aorito# dem's. Todo %a"a uedado "ien atado #desde lasucesión %asta las cuentas# en las /rmas ue

de$a"a y era momento de explorar nueoscaminos.

200I

Tom Ford presentó una exuisita lnea de"elle8a para el gigante de la cosm*tica st*e

&auder. > editó un completo li"ro so"re sutra"a$o para -ucci e >es aint &aurent.

2006


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e lan8ó al mercado lac Lrc%id, su primerper!ume. >a con la pu"licidad, Ford destila"alas claes est*ticas de su !utura /rma

2007

> puso la pica en Flandes. n la neoyoruina


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reparto, la actuación del ingl*s le alió unanominación a los Lscar de la Academia.

2010&a incursión de Tom Ford en el s*ptimo arteuedó aparcada3 y llegó septiem"reG el mesde enero en el calendario de la moda. ldiseador reunió en su #agshi store de


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@@@.tom!ord.com, al margen de las pasarelasy los des/les.

2015 Tom Ford iste a Mustin Tim"erlae en su giramundial. l diseador idea B loos para elcantante y un total de 600 pie8as para todosu euipo de m+sicos, "ailarines y coristas.

201En los ?FA Fas%ion A@ards 201E le otorganel premio -eoOrey eene &i!etimeAc%ieement a toda su carrera.

PQui*n es este diseador texano ue inspira a Falcao aHestirse como toda una estrellaR ;istoria de un geniomuc%as eces incomprendido.


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4orG Sia oc%a, experta en moda y "elle8a.

Falcao es para el !+t"ol lo ue Tom Ford es para el mundode la moda. 4or eso no es de sorprenderse ue nuestrodeportista insigne, con estilo y aut*ntico sentido de la

elegancia, designe a este diseador como su !aorito a la%ora de estir.

Am"os son per!eccionistas, dedicados, o"sesios con losdetalles, anidosos en el "uen sentido de la pala"ra, puessa"en el alor ue implica lucir impeca"les. Am"os %anaprendido, por estar constantemente expuestos alescrutinio p+"lico, ue una imagen ale m's ue mil

pala"ras. PQui*n es este guapo te$ano, con pinta de actory magnetismo in!ali"le, ue conuista con sus propuestasy su encantadora imagen a %om"res y mu$eres por igualR

l tpico auero

;ace dos aos tue la !ortuna de asistir a unconersatorio en el pper ast ide, en


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le$os), y de perci"ir no solo su estampa impeca"le, sinosu energa y su inteligencia, auellas ue lo %anconertido en el diseador m's inuyente del momento.

&a c%arla se anuncia"a con el ttulo de l %om"re, elmito y la leyendaU, y las "oletas se %a"an agotado desde%aca cuatro meses. Fue una entreista sincera y sinpretensiones en la ue Tom Ford %a"ló con total%onestidad so"re su ida, su carrera y sus aspiraciones. Amedida ue repasa"a los momentos importantes de suexistencia, %u"o ciertas !rases ue calaron en la

audiencia, comentarios sa"ios ue explican su /loso!a deida y la clae de su *xito.

Tom Ford puede considerarse un aut*ntico co@"oyUamericano, aunue a $u8gar por su extrema elegancia seadi!cil imagin'rselo en $eans, "otas aueras y som"rero,en lugar de un tra$e cortado a la per!ección. =ació enAustin, Texas, el 27 de agosto de 1961. us padres, Tom

Ford y %irley unton, tra"a$aron toda su ida comoendedores de /nca ra8. e nio, pasó inolida"les dasen el ranc%o de sus a"uelos en ro@n@ood, Texas. esdepeueo mostró su pasión por el arte y la pintura. Tueen mis padres aliados ue me apoyaron en todo auelloue me apasiona"a. =unca me !altaron instructores dearte o pinturaU, recordó con sincera emoción.

os de sus modelos de $uentud !ueron su madre y sua"uela, am"as con estilo cl'sico y elegante, aunue sua"uela era m's extraagante en cuanto a sus $oyas y suspeinados y %asta en los coc%es ue conduca. &asim'genes de "elle8a y estilo ue te cautian de nio se


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uedan para siempre en la menteU, explica"a eldiseador. 4or eso no es de extraar ue estas dos!uentes de inspiración uedaran plasmadas en la nuea

imagen ue, "a$o su mando, reiió a la casa -ucci en lad*cada de los aos noenta.

AF4

Ante todo insinuar.

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&a sensualidad es un ingrediente in!alta"le en susdiseos. ste estido de escote pro!undo pero de !alda amitad de rodilla eidencia el euili"rio entre discreción e

insinuación.l estudiante modelo

4ero no nos adelantemos. n anta Fe, =ue#o or. n 1979, la discoteca tudioIE pasa"a por su *poca dorada y Ford se conirtió enasiduo cliente. us estudios su!rieron las consecuencias.&uego de un ao de rum"a y ida dispersa, decidióradicarse en &os Angeles y "uscar una carrera como actorde comerciales.

4asaron algunos aos antes de ue regresara a =uea >or a la Academia 4arsons para estudiar aruitectura, y

luego se trasladar' a la sede de 4ars, donde /nalmentese decidió por el diseo de modas. Ford descu"rió esellamado de la modaU durante un ia$e a


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AF4

1. Mustin Tim"erlae. 4ara la m's reciente entrega de los-rammy, eligió un esmouin de la lnea cl'sica de Ford,uien adem's diseó todo el estuario para su giramundial 20#20 experience.



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AF4

2. aniel ?raig l int*rprete de Mames ond es uno de susm's /eles clientes. Todo el estuario ue usó en y!all!ue diseado por Tom Ford.



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AF4

5. radley ?oooper. 4ara la temporada de premios deeste ao, el actor istió de Tom Ford. =o ganó el Vscar,pero s un puesto en la lista de "ien estidos.

l diseador estrella

&uego de dos aos en este tra"a$o, se cam"ió a 4erryllis, donde coincidencialmente


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entreista. stuo all %asta 1990, cuando se instaló enes aint &aurent. n menos dedos aos, las entas de am"as compaas pasaron de250 millones de dólares a 5000 millones de dólares. Apesar de su *xito rotundo, admite con nostalgia ue surelación con el genio >es aint &aurent no !ue la me$or.

4rue"a de ello son las cartas ue consera escritas depuo y letra del modistoG na de las cartas en particularme decaG C;a8 logrado aca"ar con una sola colección loue me %e tardado E0 aos en construirDU.


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n el 200E, cuando la multinacional !rancesa 4inault4rintemps edoute compró -ucci, Ford renunció. ;a"ancam"iado las din'micas de $uego, su li"ertad creatia se

%a"a isto limitada. Aunue !ue una decisión dolorosa,supo ue de"a retirarse. urante mis aos en -ucci%ice muc%o dinero, tue todas las posesiones materialesue pude desearG m+ltiples casas, o"ras de arte, o"$etosy, al /nal, me di cuenta de ue nada de eso me satis!acarealmente NcomentóN. sta"a tam"i*n agotado dedisear diecis*is colecciones al ao, sin pararU. espu*sde una "ree pausa, agregóG e"es estar !eli8 en tuesencia, eso no tiene precioU.

=o alcan8ó a pasar un ao de calma y retiro dedicado algol!, cuando decidió crear su propia marca, ue incluyeropa masculina, ropa !emenina, una lnea de anteo$os,!ragancias y mauilla$e, y ue causó inmediata sensaciónen el mercado. n 2006, Ford apareció en la portada de la

reista Hanity Fair, estido con uno de sus impeca"lesdiseos masculinos y acompaado por las actrices SeiraSnig%tley y carlett Mo%ansson, uienes posaron desnudasa su lado. &as entas de sus artculos se dispararon y el*xito desde entonces %a sido su /el compaero.

=uestro Falcao adora sus lociones y las usaconstantemente. Ltra de sus de"ilidades son las ga!as de

sol y el corte impeca"le de sus pantalones y c%auetas.n o$o experto reconoce de inmediato la calidad de uienla o!rece.

Ford recordó en la c%arla cómo se decidió a crear no soloropa !emenina sino masculina. Fue un proceso org'nico.


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AF4

Xmponencia masculina. us diseos se caracteri8an porre!or8ar la masculinidad de manera elegante y sexi. &aspieles y el cuero predominan.

l %om"re en su intimidad

&a esta"ilidad emocional en la ida de Tom Ford %a sidouna de las claes de su exitosa carrera. ;ace m's de 2I



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aos conoció a su compaero, ic%ard ucley, duranteuna cena, y al /nal coincidieron en el eleador. Tom contóue ic%ard lo alcan8ó cuando entra"a al ascensor y ue

durante el descenso se puso a %acer moneras. ?uandollegó al lo""y, Tom ya tena la certe8a de ue este era el%om"re de su ida. esde entonces no se %an separado yucley es actualmente una pie8a !undamental en eldesarrollo de su gran emporio de moda.

&o m's importante en la ida es la conexión con otraspersonas Nanotó con emociónN. Hiimos en una cultura de

consumo y, aunue el lu$o y las aspiraciones son parte deella, no podemos perder la perspectia. Aunue nosguste la cac%emira, el cocodrilo y la seda, no todo secompensa con ello. in conexión no %ay emociones. =o%ay idaU.

Al preguntarle so"re sus planes !uturos, y para cerraresta c%arla memora"le, Ford respondióG eguir*

tra"a$ando %asta el da ue muera. =o lo %ago por eldinero, lo %ago por amor.


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AF4

e!ensor de lo cl'sico =ada me$or ue un %om"re consastre. Ford lo sa"e, por lo ue su ersión del cl'sicodiseo no escatima en detalles. ?ortes impeca"les, o$ales!uncionales y tallas %ec%as a la medida.

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The Business of Being Tom Ford, Part ITo accompany the launch of the BoF 500, Imran Amed sits down

with the one and only Tom Ford to understand how he built hisown brand — projected to soon turn over ! billion a year at retail— and the lessons he has learned alon" the way#

Tom Ford | Photo: Simon Perry

LONDON, United Kingdom — $It%s much, much, much harderstartin" from scratch,& says Tom Ford on launchin" his own

brand# Fresh off a trans'Atlantic fli"ht, but still loo(in" every partthe superstar desi"ner, Ford is immaculate in one of his dar(,si"nature, pea(ed'lapel suits, with a blue tie and white shirt,fastened at the nec( by a "old collar pin, all offset by "lowin" s(inand perfectly manicured stubble# $I didn%t have any idea how hard

http://www.businessoffashion.com/tom-fordhttp://www.businessoffashion.com/tom-ford


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it would be, and I have had every advanta"e that anyone couldpossibly have#&

Indeed, with a si"nificant personal fortune estimated at more than

)00 million, name reco"nition around the world and invaluable years of e*perience at the creative helm of +ucci and ves -aint.aurent, even the le"endary Tom Ford has had to overcome someof the same challen"es faced by every other fashion start'up —albeit with a si"nificant le" up#

-ure, he had a well'(nown name and a ma"netic personality tomatch, but the incipient business had no defined brand identity or/A to build upon# There were no established house codes or

si"natures that could be re'interpreted and re'ima"ined eachseason, no core products that could drive predictable recurrin"revenues, and no stores to sell them in#

In order to succeed, Ford would have to create everythin" fromscratch#

LESSONS FRO T!E "U##I $E%RS

$There was a lot of me in +ucci, and a lot of me in ves -aint.aurent# 1owever, there was also a framewor(,& says Ford# $At+ucci I had a bamboo handle# I could stic( it on anythin" and itsold# A horse bit, I could stic( it on anythin" and it was +ucci, or ared and "reen stripe#&

And when those products were created, they could rapidly bedistributed en masse at +ucci stores around the world# $There were !20 stores, so there was immediately a distribution networ(#

-i* months later, all the thin"s that I desi"ned were all over the world — and boom, sales3 It happened very fast,& he says,snappin" his fin"ers for effect#

$There was a period of time where it seemed as thou"h everythin"I touched turned to "old,& Ford recalls# $From the moment I

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started at +ucci, our numbers doubled and then doubled and thendoubled a"ain#&

1e is not e*a""eratin"# The turnaround and subse4uent "rowth of

the +ucci business is now the stuff of fashion industry le"end#Tom Ford first arrived at +ucci in !0 as a women%s ready'to' wear desi"ner# But thin"s were not "oin" well with the business#In !6, +ucci lost )) million on )60 million in sales# 7auri8io+ucci, the founder%s "randson, had over licensed the brand intoeverythin" from ashtrays to coffee mu"s# 9reditors and employees were chasin" the company for payments# The truth is, +ucci wason the ver"e of ban(ruptcy#

Then in !:, Ford was appointed the brand%s creative director byrisin" new chief e*ecutive /omenico de -ole, who had the supportof +ucci%s new majority owners, Investcorp, a Bahrain'basedinvestment "roup# .eft to his own devices, Ford injected the brand with a heady dose of se*y, cool "lamour that too( theinternational fashion industry by storm with his "round'brea(in" Autumn;


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investments in buddin" businesses helmed by Ale*ander7cDueen )000C and -tella 7c9artney )00!C#

If there was a superman in fashion, it was Tom Ford#

But it was not to last# After an acrimonious and public partin" of ways from 7r >inault in April )00: followin" disa"reements overcontrol of the business, Tom Ford — the man who built thefoundations of the +ucci +roup fashion empire today, (nown asEerin", and run by 7r >inault%s son, Fran?ois'1enri >inaultC —suddenly found himself without a job#

$I was unsure of what I%d do after thatG because, 4uite honestly, I

was shell'shoc(ed# I was very depressed about it,& says Ford# Atthe time, he told the press that he had no interest in returnin" tofashion and that he mi"ht turn his creativity to other activities#

BUILDIN" TO FORD INTERN%TION%L

But that was then, this is now# Today, almost ten years later, 7rFord and I are sittin" in his intimate, lair'li(e office at the "lobalhead4uarters of Tom Ford International TFIC in .ondon%s

1owic( >lace, where the desi"ner%s touch is apparent everywhere you loo(#

1is office is dar(, but perfectly lit, li(e a bar at a "rand, five'starhotel# The furniture is made of deep, rare 7a(assar ebony fromIndonesia# levated in the corner, under a spotli"ht, is a shoc(in"$mutated manne4uin& sculpture by the artists Ha(e and /inos9hapman# There are do8ens and do8ens of identical blac( feltpens, neatly or"anised into cups on his des(, and leanin" on top of

a chest of drawers are several stri(in" blac('and'white ima"es inidentical ele"ant blac( frames, nods to some of the definin"moments and people in Ford%s personal and professional life#

Front'and'centre is a photo of a then 60 year'old @ichardBuc(ley, Ford%s partner of more than )5 years# There is also a

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sultry headshot of the stylist'cum'editor 9arine @oitfeld who wor(ed closely with Ford durin" his years at +ucci, a Vanity Fair portrait of Ford with /omenico de -ole now the 9hairmanof TFIC, and a full'frontal nude ima"e of martial arts champion

-amuel de 9ubber from a controversial Ford'era ves -aint.aurent colo"ne ad#

An hour earlier, Ford had stepped off a plane from .os An"eles, where he spends about half the year# Hac(, his !0'month'old son,is bac( at the ranch in -anta Fe, ew 7e*ico, with Buc(ley# Fordis in .ondon for only three days to do fittin"s for his -prin";-ummer )0!: womenswear collection and to preview the firststand'alone Tom Ford store in .ondon which opened 4uietly on-loane -treet in Huly, followed by a splashy .ondon Fashion


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months of leavin",& he e*plains# $I thou"ht, KI%m very proud of what I%ve done and I%m "oin" to claim it, and I%m "oin" to put it allin a bi" thic( boo( and label it Tom Ford#%&

Tom Ford by Rizzoli | Illustration: Patrick Morgan for BoFThe boo(, published in )00: by @i88oli, with its boldmonochromatic Tom Ford brandin" — $in )!:'point type,&

accordin" to Vanity Fair’s +raydon 9arter — is now in its fifthprint run#

It also set the brandin" template for the slew of Tom Fordproducts that would come in its wa(e, and provided opportunitiesfor Ford to connect with his "lobal fan'base and the lu*uryindustry more broadly, (eepin" his name in the increasin"lycrowded mi* of fashion brands vyin" for attention#

$It "ave me the ability for ma"a8ine stories, "ave me the ability to"o do si"nin"s at Ber"dorfs, eimans,& he e*plains# $It was a lin(to (eep my name alive#&

T&O LI#ENSIN" DE%LS

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Then in April )005, Ford announced two "lobal licensin" deals with 7arcolin for eyewear and stLe .auder for beauty#


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Tom Ford Parfum | Illustration: Patrick Morgan for BoF$I didn%t have a fear of scale,& he says# $I%m used to desi"nin" a world because even as I was thin(in" of the perfume bottles, I wasalreadyG thin(in" about how would they loo( in our pac(a"in",how would they loo( sittin" in our case lines, how they would loo( ne*t to each other# -o everythin" has a cohesive loo( which is what "ives a brand a personality#&

Another important brandin" component was the use of discreetsi"nifiers which would si"nal the label to people in the (now, without bein" too overt# The first e*ample was in eyewear ahori8ontal KT% that runs from either side of the front of the framesand e*tends down the arms#

$ersols, that is now our si"nifierand it%s on virtually every pair of "lasses we ma(e# It%s very, veryhard to find those initial identifiers when you are startin" yourown company#&

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.ast year, more than ! million pairs of Tom Ford frames were sold"lobally, says 7r Ford# That%s the e4uivalent of a platinum recordin the Mnited -tates, albeit at an avera"e price ta" of about 650,resultin" in an eyewear business that alone sells around 650

million at retail#

As for Tom Ford Beauty, by the end of the fiscal year ended Hune)0!:, the business is e*pected to turn over more than )N5million at retail in more than :0 countries around the world,accordin" to mar(et reports#

$I don%t thin( thisG is anywhere near where we are "oin" to be,&says Ford, when as(ed to comment on the further potential of the

beauty business# $I would li(e to see us easily at 500 million, butit depends how far in the future we are projectin"# I would li(e to be one of the five major brands in the world, in terms of scale#&

The Business of Being Tom Ford, Part II

In >art ) of a special interview to accompany the launch ofthe BoF 500, Imran Amed sits down with the one and only TomFord to understand how he built his own brand — projected tosoon turn over ! billion a year at retail — and the lessons he haslearned alon" the way#


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Tom Ford | Photo: Simon Perry

LONDON, United Kingdom — It was not lon" before Ford jumped bac( into the fashion mi*, but surprisin" observers a"ain,

he started with menswear#

$7enswearG is a detail'driven business# It really is about thefabrics, or the ma(e, or the buttonholes, or the lapels# At thedesi"ner level, it is a very, very different business than women%s,&he says# $-o I thou"ht KOE, I am ready to "o bac( to fashion,% andthis is a (indler, "entler way to do it#&

But unli(e the easier price points of his fra"rance and eyewear

collections, the menswear offerin" was decidedly e*pensive, withoff'the'rac( suits retailin" at over 5,000, about the same price asa bespo(e suit from -avile @ow#

$One of the reasons that a desi"ner is successful is because ofGintuition# verythin" I have done has been 4uite or"anic,& insists


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Ford# $7aybe it would sound better if I sat here and told you it was all a pre'mapped strate"y and maybe in my subconscious it was, but it wasn%t# It was or"anic#&

onetheless, Ford%s entry into the menswear mar(et was very well'timed indeed# After a short, sharp fall in lu*ury spendin"followin" the financial crisis of )002, it was not lon" before the(ind of ultra'hi"h net worth men Ford was tar"etin" wereshoppin" a"ain, drivin" a sur"e of demand in the lu*urymenswear mar(et, which accordin" to consultants Bain P9ompany, has been "rowin" at !)'!Q percent per year since )0!0,even faster than womenswear#

And, li(e his entrLes into beauty and eyewear, Ford did not try todo everythin" in house# Instead, he tapped a lon"standin"relationship — this time with +ildo Re"na, chief e*ecutive ofrmene"ildo Re"na — to "et a 4uic( start#

$Re"na has built an entire business just on menswear# It can be a very profitable business,& he says# $I could have started with myown office, and I (now all the factories and I could "o to thisfactory to "et my jac(et and that factory to "et my shirts, but I

needed to "o fast# I had wor(ed with Re"na onG both +ucci and -., and Re"na was the only partner which had the ability toma(e everythin" from suits, shirts, ties, sportswear, all of it, all atonce#&

-o, Ford in(ed yet another deal and soon, he was bac( in the thic( of the ready'to'wear fashion business# As with every business line,he maintains si"nificant control to ensure he "ets the results he

desires#$


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manufacturin" and the shippin"# It%s our showroom, and our staff,our merchandisin" team, and we decide where we are sold#&

BUILDIN" % RET%IL NET&ORK

But sellin" was another challen"e alto"ether#

$The main challen"e in startin" your own company is creatin"G adistribution networ( — especially when you%re startin" a lu*ury business,& says Ford# And whereas other brands may have chosento be"in by wholesalin" their ready'to'wear collections indepartment stores and bouti4ues, Ford decided not to "o downthat route at first# To coincide with the menswear launch, Ford

realised he needed his own retail presence, and fast#$I wanted the very first store to be in .ondon,& he recalls# $Ineeded to be either on Bond -treet or -loane -treet and therewereG no properties available#


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The store opened in April )00N, to coincide with the move intomenswear, reflectin", as always, his own personal tastes andaesthetic, and creatin" a retail template that could be translatedfor future store locations# $It was initially just a replica of my

.ondon livin" room, ri"ht down to ta(in" mirrors off my wall andhavin" them copied,& he remembers#

Then, once a"ain he 4uic(ly turned to levera"e a set of "lobalrelationships built durin" his time at +ucci +roup to set in placefranchise deals for Tom Ford retail stores around the world# $


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he continues# $I was very worn out from havin" "enerated all ofthat# I thin( the women%s fashion business is probably the hardest,tou"hest business in the world#&

But he finally returned to womenswear in -eptember )0!0 in a way that only Tom Ford could pull off# At a secretive show held inhis ew or( store, Ford cau"ht the industry completely bysurprise, with a hi"hly e*clusive approach that went counter tothe prevailin" winds that were be"innin" to transform anddemocratise the industry#

Only one hundred of fashion%s super'elite editors were invited#Only Terry @ichardson, who acted as house photo"rapher, was

allowed to shoot the show, and his ima"es would not be releasedto the public until months later when the collection was availableto buy# Attendees were banned from tweetin" and ta(in" theirown photos in what amounted to a social media blac(out#


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made thin"s specifically for them, and I thou"ht KAha this is thenew concept3%S

BUPS IN T!E RO%D

But the followin" season, Ford faced the first major bumps on hiscomebac( journey# /oin" away with the idea of a show alto"ether,he invited a select few journalists to see his collection in his.ondon showroom# This approach ruffled more than a fewfeathers, especially on social media and blo"s, and led theinfluential online community at The Fashion -pot to wei"h in onthe debate $Tom Ford%s $-ecret& -hows — Brilliant or Arro"antJ&

The ne*t season, the criticism continued# =ir"inie 7ou8at was themost vocal and public critic, usin" words li(e $ni"htmare& and$old'fashioned& in her review for Le Figaro, criticisin" not onlyFord%s collection and its $borrowed inspirations,& but also thema(e'up, stylin" and invitation process#

$I a"ree with her that it was a terrible collection# It was probablythe worst collection that I have ever done# It was a terrible,terrible show,& admits Ford, while addin" that he thou"ht her

review crossed the line, amountin" to a personal attac(# $It wasnot meant to be a show, it was a showroom collection that : days before we decided to put on a little runway, because everyone (eptcallin" and "ettin" really an"ry#&

$


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into the rin" to "et it ri"ht,& he says# $About three seasons a"o, westarted focusin" thin"s more, and I thin( the two collections wedid previous to this last one were really "ood and I had "reat presscovera"e ### but no one saw them,& he admits, ac(nowled"in" that

by limitin" e*posure of his collections online and restrictin"media from reportin" on them, he was doin" his business adisservice#

EBR%#IN" T!E INTERNET

-o, Ford chan"ed his tac( a"ain# At his show in .ondon inFebruary, he put on the first full'scale show since his days at+ucci and invited a few new media mavens, includin" -usanna

.au of -tyle Bubble, to attend his show for the first time# And while the reviews of his latest collection were mi*ed, the movesi"naled Ford%s newfound understandin" of today%s medialandscape#

$I thin( one of the reasons I was really resistin" di"ital, was because it%s less controllable# The thin" about a journalistli(e 9athy 1oryn or -u8y 7en(esG, isG that they have a certaininte"rity# They fact chec(# They have a history# They (now what

they are watchin"# A blo""er today could have a lot of followers, but maybe doesn%t have that sense of history or that level ofprofessionalism# ou can%t control that so you have to just let "o,&says Ford#

$I was tal(in" to a friend who%s a journalist and he said Kou%llnever have that (ind of hit in the way that you%re used to in thedays when the Internet wasn%t so powerful# ou had a consensus

of five or ten people who decided whether somethin" was a hitand that%s what the world read, and that%s what the world believed# ow it%s very diverse and ultimately the customerdecides, which is nice#

http://www.businessoffashion.com/susanna-lauhttp://www.businessoffashion.com/susanna-lauhttp://www.businessoffashion.com/cathy-horynhttp://www.businessoffashion.com/susanna-lauhttp://www.businessoffashion.com/susanna-lauhttp://www.businessoffashion.com/cathy-horyn


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That said, $the company is profitable, it runs itself and I don%thave to sell paintin"s,& he says jo(in"ly, referrin" to the Andy

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Tom Ford (Designer)[1]

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