Prey for the Hunted

Time for a little history for the fashion illiterate me 15 minutes ago .  In the early 1800’s Beau Brummell was considered the arbiter of British fashion and is credited with introducing and establishing the modern man’s suit, as well as being the genesis of Dandyism .  A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance , refined language, and leisurely hobbies. Some say that Brummell would take as long as 5 hours to dress and that he had his boots regularly polished with champagne.

While Americans care dearly for how they look I wonder if it is possible to have this level of luxury and value of the aesthetic in today’s quick and easy society. In America it seems, that even among the best dressed, we have a commodotized vision of luxury.  Europeans understand and honor bespoke tailoring , a term originating from Savile Row, and seem to see beyond the clever marketing that is trying to pass off prestigious monikers and high price tags as luxury. Tom Ford played his part in creating this problem and is no set on being part of the solution.

Texas born Tom Ford had a meteoric rise in the fashion industry, from graduating Parsons with an interior design degree in 1986 to running the Gucci house and being responsible for 11 lines under the Gucci brand in 1992. Tom Ford is responsible for reviving the nearly dead Gucci and changing the face of luxury fashion in the process. While Ford had the chops to design with European flair what he really brought was the American spirit of Henry Ford and Ray Kroc . During his time at Gucci Ford was responsible for making the luxury brand more accessible to a broad audience. Where brands like Gucci, Channel, and Dior were once known only to true connoisseurs and fashionistas now you can find their prestigious hallmarks on glasses at the Sunglass Hut in your local mall.

While this has been very good for the business of luxury brands it has forced a shift in what we consider luxury goods. Gone are the days of traveling to a destination to have something made to your specification by a skilled craftsman, today’s luxury goods are defined by there stylish ad campaigns and a semi exclusive price tag. The items are mass produced without an artists touch making them simple to knock off by even the least skilled Chinese factories, which goes even further to increase their distribution and dilute their brand and our sense of luxury.

After leaving The Gucci Group in 2004 Ford opened the fashion house Tom Ford. He began with highend well crafted accessories and unique fragrances and has now opened a Flagship store focused on bespoke tailoring. Don’t look for a Tom Ford store to show up near you any time soon or to be able to buy a suit bearing his name from the internet, you will need to go seek out this luxury experience.  Make a pilgramage to the Tom Ford store on New Yorks Madison ave. and drink in the luxury. Make and appointment to be fitted and choose from thousands of combintations of fabrics, collars, cuffs, and monograming to get something that brings us back to true personal luxury. No, it not cheap or immediate you will spend between $5,000-$8,000 and you will leave empty handed, but when YOUR suit does arrive you will understand luxury in a way that Beau Brummell could appreciate.