Tom Ford

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On Saturday, the photographer William Klein died, and today fashion mourned Roxanne Lowit, who was among the first photographers to romance the behind-the-scenes action at runway shows. Well, Richard [Buckley, Ford’s late husband] said, when I showed it to him was – very dry – he said, “Well, it’s a lot of water under the bridge. Tom Ford 002 takes the reader through a glamour-filled journey of all things Tom Ford, featuring previously unpublished images ranging from 2005 to the present day. When the daywear section concluded, a soundtrack of upbeat ’80s hits was swapped out for Freddie Mercury singing “Time Waits for No One.

Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. In an interview with fashion journalist Bridget Foley in the book, Ford reveals some personal details such as the decade it took him to get over the depression he felt after leaving the Gucci Group, which he steered to global domination. Brimming with celebrities, the book will have you chanting Jay-Z’s unforgettable “Tom Ford,” named for the designer—which Ford maintains is still one of his most surreal moments.Looking back at that phase of your career and your first book, how do you see that and contemplate that now at this distance? Tom Ford 002 picks up Ford’s story in 2005, just as he had sign a beauty deal, after a hiatus from the fashion industry. Every major celebrity has worn Tom Ford: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Jay Z, Madonna, Drake, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, David Beckham, Serena Williams, Daniel Craig, Naomi Campbell, the Jenners and Hadids, Janet Jackson, Colin Firth, Kate Moss, Michelle Obama, ad infinitum.

And the debut of his womenswear collection with an ultra exclusive runway show that featured Beyonce, Juliane Moore, Rita Wilson, Lauren Hutton among other boldfaced names as models. A hot pink zoot suit was accompanied by a necktie that looked wider and shorter than recent examples. Luckily, a lot of young people seem to have latched onto the kind of things that I did at Gucci and the kinds of things that I did at Saint Laurent. From the highly polished boutiques to the impeccably tailored men with their peak lapels and waistcoats, from the designer’s own unerring personal style to the sensual and powerful way he dresses women, from the runway shows to pictures of Ford in his many homes. But soon “realized very quickly that I was missing having a voice in contemporary culture but I didn’t feel I was ready to jump back in,” he says.But honestly I’m seeing it through the lens of having just lost Richard, and now it takes on a different meaning.

It made me look at it all again and think to myself, whether one likes what I do or doesn’t like what I do, Wow! A year ago he was talking about the ways in which social media has changed fashion, killing off subtlety in favor of high impact. At the time I said and I still believe it, if Jack [Ford’s son], when he grows up and wants to know anything about me at age 48, all he has to do is watch that movie and everything in it. And being able to express that was the most fun I’ve ever had and the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I think with the first book there was a very strong sense of the legacy you had created at Gucci and Saint Laurent.It took me a while to go back to presenting a unified vision on a runway, but I ultimately found that is what works the best. So, that one really is the first chapter, and this is the second chapter, and I long to have a third chapter. So it’s no wonder he put on the razzle dazzle tonight, packing the room with celebs—Madonna, Chris Rock, and Ciara, among them—and sending out a collection with Hollywood Boulevard and Elvis-in-Las-Vegas vibes, heavy on the pastel lamé, Nudie Suit-style embroideries, and black lingerie lace. I looked at it a gazillion times while editing it, and I went through all its premieres and that was it.

Do you think it’s the fact that they are so uniquely personal that you’ve resisted an urge to watch them again or do you think you might? Tom Ford was in the headlines in July when it was reported that he was exploring the potential sale of his brand.

It brings back very personal memories about where I was, what I was doing, what my taste was at the time—it was very cathartic” said Ford. And I’d like to make more of them and god knows when I’ll squeeze them in with everything else I do. That excitement fuels over and I feel more creative, but it is weird because it also makes you realise how fast it all goes.