Backstage before Tom Ford's fall 2024 ready-to-wear show, creative director Peter Hawkings was eager to chat about the glasses and how each acetate was chosen, and the beauty reflected in the collection's palette and the suggestion of being involved in “vanilla sex.” ”as were the clothes.
That is to say, instead of shying away from the fact that the Estée Lauder-owned brand is an intensely commercial proposition, with ready-to-wear as a supporting player (which, let's face it, is the case with most brands of luxury), Hawkings was hugging him.
“Everything works like a world, and that's the luxury of being in this company,” he said of the holistic approach, describing the collection almost like a makeup palette: strong military-inspired outerwear in navy and black with glitter on the sides. eyelids. , progressing to softer nudes like shades of the brand's Slim Lip Color Shine on suits, bodycon knit dresses and sparkly fishnet fringe dresses; Back to shiny black and gray leather looks, including the bustier catsuit, to bold lilac and ultraviolet velvet, to a black finish that shows off plenty of sequins and skin.
There is something to be said for connecting the beauty and fashion categories more closely, if it were done in a smarter way. Hawkings tried to set the mood with champagne, a lit dance floor, loud seats, a noir soundtrack of “Basic Instinct” and Sharon Stone herself sitting in the front row. But all that didn't generate much heat.
Instead, the clothes looked vaguely Tom Ford, though even Tom Ford's Tom Ford wasn't as well-defined as his Gucci and Saint Laurent. The accessories also need further development to be desirable.
If the Tom Ford brand is all about seduction, and certainly its fragrances and beauty would suggest it is with evocative names like Rose Prick and Lost Cherry, we need to feel something when we see these clothes, we need to feel who and what seduction. is now.
Hawkings has distinctive tailoring. Women's three-piece suits (which came in several versions) with strong shoulders, fitted blazers, vests unbuttoned above the neckline, and flared pants or shorts were luxurious looks to aspire to and showed quality in their details. But overall, he didn't dare enough. Too much vanilla, not enough sex.
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