TOM FORD FALL 2016 REVIEW

Lucky Blue and Gigi Hadid walk for Tom Ford - Fall 2016. Image: Vogue Runway 

Fashion month has officially kicked off to a roaring start and who better to really get things going than the dashing Jack-of-all-trades supremo Tom Ford?

Yesterday Ford debuted his first show-now-buy-now collection, and though it is still yet to be seen exactly how (and indeed how well) the immediately-available fashion week format is going to work, Ford is clearly in no way intimidated.

Not holding back from his signature 70s-inspired glamour, the fall collection was nostalgic, opulent and rich with texture. Ford's girls mean business - belted, well-heeled, with chunky armour-plate-like jewellery, wonderfully juxtaposed with fluffy furs coats and sequin gowns. Never one to shy away from mixing texture, this season is no exception - sequins with leather, sequins with feathers, wooly tweeds with gold statement jewellery - all accompanied by a bare, fresh face - maybe there is such a thing as "too much"? 

Image: Vogue Runway 

The run of show harkened back to the fashion presentations of the 50s and 60s - a series of round tables at the Four Seasons with a raised platform runway. Favouring the intimacy of a presentation, Tom Ford in no way compromises with his guest list. In attendance were long-term muse Julianne Moore, as well as Uma Thurman, Karlie Kloss, a perfectly on-brand Zayn Malik, legendary supermodels Iman and Naomi Campbell, and for some reason, Rita Ora.

Though an entirely new format, these were by no means radically new designs for the designer and his eponymous brand. Whilst his consistency is admirable, his aesthetic a clear vision - I was expecting the "big fashion week shake-up" to inspire a big shake-up when it came the clothes. But then that's Tom Ford all over, always doing the unexpected. His clothes may be immediately available but why should that change his design process? His fabric choices? I applaud him for not sacrificing quality for the sake of immediacy. Only time will tell if he's put a little too much pressure on himself to deliver a collection that is reminiscent of collections past, but available to order months sooner than those previous. Lest we forget that Tom Ford, is never one to disappoint.

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