Tom Ford fallfall 2020 makesmakes aa statementstatement inin colour,colour, casting,casting, andand confidenceconfidence

Whoever is in charge of the global branding of Tom Ford is doing a great job. I rarely pay attention to Tom Ford fashion shows because I focus on other collections. When you’re first breaking into an industry, the best thing to do is quickly gravitate towards your interests. From there, you establish a baseline and indulge in brands that all have a line of best fit for your likes. There are times when I do pay attention to Tom Ford, for example, his red-carpet dresses and online content videos where he styles everyday people.

Tom has been a person of interest to me since I first saw videos of him styling men. When I watched these videos, I thought, “If I ever meet him, I cannot look like a tramp”. I would watch the men stomp towards him and think, ‘These men are boring!’ After Tom Ford deconstructed them like denim jeans and put them back together again, they looked sharp. It was at this moment that I realised only some fashion designers have an eye for style. The rest rely on stylists.

Tom Ford, the Creative Director

Some creative directors are good at just that: being a visionary for what’s to come in fashion and speculating on designs. For anything else, they need to outsource these jobs to a team member. That is not the case for Mr Thomas Ford. This collection solidified that he has a good sense of style. He knows exactly how he wishes speculators to view his designs, both individually and as a cohesive body of work.

The Tom Ford brand and its creative director are sleek, sharp, and executive. Karl Lagerfeld, the brand and Chanel are much more feminine. Mr Thomas Ford reminds me of a younger, British Karl Lagerfeld. The Chanel brand prides itself on legacy and ‘hautiness.’ Much like the French, when you attempt to speak the language and stumble on the second word. They’d rather you stop talking and command your mother tongue, which is likely English. The Tom Ford brand is open to other cultures and takes inspiration from them, much like the British and their spoils of war from colonisation. In no way am I saying Tom Ford is a coloniser, but in a bleak way, the English know how to stay current and use the world as their oyster for betterment and preservation.

The Tom Ford 2020 Collection

The show’s diversity was a clear standout for me. It was nice to see rich colours on dark skin and dresses in black for all skin types. Something else that stood out was that the show featured both men’s and womenswear. I do like the separation of women and men in fashion shows, because often, the menswear gets overshadowed. I dislike it when designers treat menswear as an afterthought.

Bringing men’s and ladies’ wear together was an excellent way for Tom Ford to showcase what he had been producing. In the future, I foresee more designers opting to include both genders in one fashion show. I thought this collection had a Gucci 2011 vibe with less fur. Insert the irony here because Tom Ford is a former Gucci creative director. I say this because of the runway formation, the dark presentation, and the way the room was dimmed to signify a change in the segment. It felt very “guccified”.

It was a simile that I thought about for a second as potentially noteworthy. Taking inspiration from others is fantastic. I am not saying that Tom found inspiration from previous Gucci shows. I do see similarities between the two collections, though. The collection is mainly what matters, and what message the designer is trying to convey through clothes.

Final Thoughts

The styling of the fashion was nice. I specifically liked the way Tom mixed his prints, which made me broaden my style horizons. The feather earrings are trendy, which I now want because they’re quirky and fun. It’s just the way fashion is supposed to be.

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Lastly, the attention to detail on the denim was a great addition to 2020, as I haven’t seen it on any other designer’s runway. All the denim pieces looked reconstructed, which I liked because it adds an exclusive flair to any closet. The decision to feature both menswear and womenswear in one show was innovative. It broke up the show’s pacing and gelled very well as a cohesive piece.

Featured image credit: FirstView.