Velvet, Silk and Sex Appeal
Tom Ford gave Gucci velvet, silks and satins, bamboo, and a reason to stay up past midnight.
Halle Berry in S/S 2004 Gucci at the premiere of Gothika.
SJP in F/W 2003 Gucci at the 2003 Tony Awards.
Beyoncé in F/W 2003 Gucci at the North American debut of the Mercedes-Benz McLaren.
S/S 2001 Runway.
S/S 2004 Runway.
F/W 2004 Runway.
SJP with the S/S 2004 Gucci fringe bag.
When designer and pioneer Tom Ford was appointed Creative Director of Gucci in 1994, the brand was facing dropping sales and weaning interest across demographics. It is rumored that Vogue's publicist was begging editors to attend Ford's debut womenswear runway show. By the following year, journalists were begging to get in. Within a year of becoming Creative Director, Gucci sales increased by 90%, and by 1999 the brand was valued at $4 billion. A true resurrection, if you will. Ford's signature was a 1970s-inspired sensibility: low-cut velvet hip-huggers, feather-and-bead adorned denim, and sexy satin shirts in bold colors. Deeply wearable, deeply covetable. Pieces that could be worn for any event and make both subtle and grand statements. Tom Ford's era with Gucci effectively marked the beginning of the age of the star designer — powerful creative directors whose influence stretched across design, marketing, and cultural identity.
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