In case you missed it, I wrote a book on Tom Ford. Order it here.
One of my favorite parts of writing this book was exploring the totally intrepid duality of Tom Ford, who often gets typecast as a minimalist but at heart, has his own wildly opulent and decadent maximalist moments that pull from his background as a Texan who has also lived in New Mexico and who idolizes the inimitable Lisa Eisner.
While much of his early work for Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent may be considered tame compared to the Tom Ford aesthetic of today, Ford brought forward a new kind of out-there glamour that heavily riffed on 1970s style at a time when copious designer houses were focused on streamlined designs with little ornamentation and even less prints and colors.
What’s also important to understand about Ford’s work is his obsessive attention to detail, as well as just how hands on he gets. Take, for instance, the fact that in 2004, as the creative director of Gucci, he personally shaved a “G” into the pubic hair of model Carmen Kass (!) for an ad, adding definition with an eyebrow pencil.
I only own two Tom Fords piece in my wardrobe; both are bags. I bought the iconic one below as a present to myself after finishing the book. I wanted something that truly represented the unique lens of Tom Ford: the opposite of subtle and totally Tom Ford-ian.
Shocking, raw and deliciously crass, it’s the “Pussy Power” bag from fall 2018, also one of the first Tom Ford fashion shows I ever attended. The photo doesn’t do the glittery masterpiece justice.
In honor of my book, these are the five other Tom Ford archival pieces I would love to add to my wardrobe one day—from his work at Gucci, YSL and his namesake brand.
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