Tom Ford

Pauleta I McCracken/ English 101 Blog 4

My forth blog is about Tom Ford, an American designer born August 27, 1961 in Austin, Texas. He attended Parsons School of Design where he landed a prestigious spot in the school. Parsons is where he embarked on a degree in interior design. Ford begin his career in high fashion in 1986, when he joined the creative staff of American designer Cathy Hardwick. Two years and several daring campaigns later, he received an impressive promotion when he was named the design director of Perry Ellis. Ford stayed with the high-profile company until 1990 when he relocated to ltaly to take a position with Gucci. Ford single-handedly turned Gucci into a $4 billion brand before he became the creative director of Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. On a website AskMen.com said "In 2006, the multitalented Tom Ford worked hard on new designs for his own eponymous brand and toward the launch of his own store."



Tom Ford does things big.In a text book call THE DYNAMICS OF FASHION THIRD EDITION composed by ELAINE STONE said "Two months after the debut of his men’s line and standalone flagship store in Manhattan, the entrepreneurial designer was ready to develop his brand globally. Tom Ford explains why he chose to move into men’s wear. He said, "I love designing the men’s collection because in the men’s business, people respond to fabric, cut, and the shoulder. In women’s, the overall image is more important than the actual clothes". With men’s wear, I’m very comfortable doing it myself because I am the men’s customer. Men are really weird: if you change a pocket a little bit, they can go crazy, something a woman wouldn’t be conscious of.”

Tom Ford has approached his new venture as a sartorial architect for men who want the surface perfection of “Old School” haberdashery meets “New School.” Looking at Tom Ford designs I can see one of his influences is Bill Blass and his popular design styles in clothes and in Bill Blass An American Designer book composed by Helen O’ Hagan Kathleen Rowold and Michael Vollbracht. Tom Ford said “Bill Blass did for fashion in America what Yves Saint Lauren

did for fashion in France. Bill Blass gave American women their uniform – modern, clean, chic clothes that are timeless.” Although Bill Blass is known more for women’s wear he also did men’s too. If I look at Blass’ vintage men’s designer suit. I can see Tom Ford was influence by Blass' popular design style.



This is Tom Ford in one of his men's suits design's in his line today.

This is Tom Ford suit in the present and some of Bill Blass vintage suits in the past.

Tom Ford suits are for the men who want the surfacw perfection of "Old School" haberdashery meets "New Shool."

Although Tom Ford's designs are influenced by Bill Blass at the same time these designs are based on his own theory, "Old School " haberdashery meets "New School."