01/10/2006
What Drives a Ford
The recent report of Tom Ford demanding that nobody attend meetings with him if they are wearing colored socks has been met with a review of his latest endeavors by the UK paper The Independent.
They include his role as artistic director of the upcoming Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair for which he demanded that the actresses he photographed pose in the nude. Among the nude spreads, according to the paper, "there will reportedly also be sexy shots of George Clooney in a pool and the Jarhead actor Peter Sarsgaard suspended from the rafters in some kind of S&M fantasy."
Sounds par for the course after his latest spread in W magazine. So it's also not surprising that his quest to build a mansion on the outskirts of his native Santa Fe has been met with resistance by the Santa Fe Historic Review Design Board, one of whom described the estate as "a Wal-Mart perched on a hill." That's gotta hurt.
The crux of it all: "There has always been a thin line between seeming to go bonkers and generating free publicity."
Eccentrics are amusing, so let them play. Ford has already designed his own coffin, they say, for an on-site mausoleum for him and his family. And no doubt it has its own dress code.
Related
Tom Ford and the Fashion Bots [tr]
The Man Formerly From Gucci [tr]
Posted 5:15 PM EST by Andy Towle in Fashion Men | Permalink
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Yes he is a mad genius. But he is the hottest mad genius on the planet. I could be crazy right with him. Sigh
Posted by: Donald | Jan 10, 2006 5:30:34 PM
He certainly is eccentric.....
Posted by: Roy | Jan 10, 2006 5:46:52 PM
You have to admit the W photo essay was beyond fierce. The whole creation and worshipping of a patently false ideal of beauty was a positively sublime statement.
Posted by: MT | Jan 10, 2006 5:48:15 PM
Am I the only one who thinks Mr. Ford is over-rated and tiresome? So he is relatively good-looking, however I think his work has been mediocre. I can put a 'bit' on anything and call it Gucci. His new work has yet to be judged on it's new ideas (and longevity), so I think the answer is still out.
Posted by: Andrew | Jan 10, 2006 6:02:38 PM
"False ideal of Beauty"? Tom Ford sounds like Dr. Quentin Casta's equally-evil twin.
Posted by: Ted B. | Jan 10, 2006 6:17:33 PM
Tom Ford didn't do anothing extroadinary at Gucci. The PR did. 'His' work was like I said, mediocre. Great parties, tight pants/shirts/GG everywhere-YAWN. He is not a designer-he is a kept man. He should re-negotiated the contract btw. The new stuff may be okay-is he actually looks at it.
Posted by: Andrew | Jan 10, 2006 6:32:21 PM
Tom Ford didn't do anothing extroadinary at Gucci. The PR did. 'His' work was like I said, mediocre. Great parties, tight pants/shirts/GG everywhere-YAWN. He is not a designer-he is a kept man. He should re-negotiated the contract btw. The new stuff may be okay-if he actually looks at it.
Posted by: Andrew | Jan 10, 2006 6:33:47 PM
sorry for the double post. Damn key stuck, shut-up.
Posted by: Andrew | Jan 10, 2006 6:36:23 PM
Isn't it a relief then that Tom's works at Gucci and YSL made sense to those people that mattered?
Posted by: olatz | Jan 10, 2006 7:00:24 PM
Of course it is-I never said it didn't matter. He did bring Gucci from a tired old '80's brand to the '90's and the new Millenium. I just said I didn't think his work was that great.
Posted by: Andrew | Jan 10, 2006 7:04:47 PM
He's gonna ruin his Fag Schway!
But I still think he's hot.
Tom, you can suspend me from the rafters any day.
Posted by: Genre Joe | Jan 10, 2006 7:09:56 PM
Good for Tom then that the majority of the press and the buyers who made Tom a huge star thought otherwise.
Somewhere out there, Tom just heaved a huge sigh of relief.
Posted by: olatz | Jan 10, 2006 7:41:48 PM
everybody has there own tastes. He's mainly so unseemly. How can anyone find someone so humorless, talented or hot? But then....Madonna. ah well.........
Posted by: PSMike | Jan 10, 2006 8:17:54 PM
We have our own tastes of course but to call Tom's success and influence in fashion and design all a product of "PR" is a bit simplistic doncha think? The fashion press and critics are highly literate professionals who can
sniff out real talent 2 time zones away and to imply that they can be fooled by "PR" season after season after season is hilarious!
Posted by: gabe | Jan 10, 2006 9:15:37 PM
Umm. It's fashion. I have a feeling the entire fashion press/critics/'highly literate professionals' sphere would trump up a doorstop if it meant fucking with rest of us.
Posted by: Dan | Jan 11, 2006 12:13:43 AM
Now you're insulting hundreds of people, who I should add you don't even know, for pulling the wool over the public's eye all because they were swayed by a powerful PR.
Posted by: dennis | Jan 11, 2006 7:04:46 AM
Unless you work in the fashion industry...who cares. Those of us outside that wall simply think the guys a loon.
Posted by: wayne | Jan 11, 2006 8:18:31 AM
This thread is starting to look like a kindergarten playground. Name calling is not kosher girls! We gay men should know that.
Posted by: diana | Jan 11, 2006 9:48:24 AM
TF is TOTALLY HOT and SEXY.. and i am straight gal! Cant stop thinking about him I have collected every picture of him - even baby pictures that i could collect. And am anxiously awaiting for his book to arrive here. cost nme a mini fortune, but whatever
I wish he stay juist the way he is right now - smoking hot, gorgeous chest and absolutely sexy ASS
Yum Yum
That Richard Buckley is the luckiest bastard alive:(
-Zenobia
zenobia-zone.blogspot.com
Posted by: zenobia | Jan 31, 2006 12:04:53 AM
After nearly 35 years - my former best friend from grade school in San Marcos Texas is still in the lime light! Tom, if you read this message I'd love to catch up with you! I didn't even realize you were the same TF that I grew up with until about 5 years ago, Yes that makes me a bad gay man I guess. Hell, back in 1972 we didn't even know what "Gay" was, other that you and I always hated gym class and the A-hole Gym Teacher that tormented us. Reach out sometime....BTW: my twin brother Don (remember the time he busted you in the face and gave you a bloody lip) has an old year book and yes, Tom, you even looked sexy at 12. Here's a flashback: Remember the sleep over party with our little Jewish friend David, we played truth or dare, I picked dare and thanks to your request ended up smearing BENGAY on my pre-pubed private parts. See, you were always pushing the evevelope!
FROM:
Your old schoolmate and former childhood buddy from Texas
David Toler
MIAMI, FL
Posted by: David T | Mar 13, 2006 1:44:34 PM