In what was easily the season’s most anticipated debut, Tom Ford unveiled his first-ever namesake women’s collection Sunday evening to a select group of editors that had them swooning and beaming from ear to ear. It’s been six years since Ford last showcased a women’s collection; since then, he’s launched seemingly every product category but. So to celebrate the momentous occasion, he enlisted some “friends” to swing by his men’s store on Madison Avenue to unveil the final product–including Beyoncé, Lauren Hutton, Marisa Berenson, Julianne Moore, Rita Wilson, Rachel Feinstein, Emmanuelle Seigner, Daphne Guinness, Lisa Eisner, Lou Doillon, Farida Khelfa and just about every supermodel there was.
Each look was specific to that particular wearer’s personality or attitude–Rinko Kikuchi was a China doll, for example, while Beyoncé was Tom’s “Chocolate Bon-Bon.” Makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury, who spent five hours applying makeup for the show, created individual looks for each guest model. All in all, it was a mind-blowing show. Anyone who doubted Ford’s ability to return to womenswear lost big. From the clean chalk white suede trench and suiting separates in leopard and black silk to the effortless silk georgette dresses, the designs gleamed with refined taste. If it wasn’t hand embroidered, it was hand sewn or hand applied. Yes, there certainly was an element of Hollywood–but that’s intrinsically always going to be apart of Tom’s design aesthetic. As for the accessories, well, I was blown away by the number of categories and the depth of each. Handbags aside, there were exquisite 18-karat hammered gold necklaces and a breastplate; stilettos with grosgrain ankle ties and knee-high fishnet sandals and nifty hats that sporadically accompanied certain looks. As he narrated each look, the model would pose playfully to entertain the audience as they made their down the makeshift runway.
