We like to group Tom Ford in that same "too good to be true" category as Karl Lagerfeld. You know, those designers that consistently manage to blow you away with their creativity and talent, whether in their ability to pull of so many damn collections (Kaiser Karl designs not only the ready to wear and pre-collections for Chanel and Fendi, he also curates Haute Couture for Chanel and designs for his own label Karl Lagerfeld. Does the man ever sleep?) or perhaps in their ability to sidestep fashion and bring their own particular brand of glamour, luxury and creativity to avenues outside of the sartorial realm, be it film, magazines or, um, road safety advertisements.
That's why we love this documentary, "Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind" that provides a rare window into the much-media-managed studio of Tom Ford. "I just like to make things," he says, in that laconic western drawl, and it's so true. His creative force drives all aspects of his life, from the way he attacks a garment on the fit model, ripping off cuffs and shortening hems on the go, to his desire to create beautiful photographs and films in the same manner he creates beautiful clothes. One of the best things about this video is the backstage footage of his intensely private, editors-only return to fashion during spring/summer 2011. Seeing Julianne Moore gabbing with Natalia Vodianova, Karen Elson and Lauren Hutton backstage during rehearsals is a fusion of fashion and celebrity that only he could provide. "Fashion creates a bit of a dream... it's an enhanced version of who you are," he says, and we find ourselves nodding along as we watch. His extravagant, intense perspective is, well, visionary, and it is as effective today as it was in the 1990s when all he wanted to talk about was sex. At the heart of what he creates is exuberance and joy, and why not? "If it's not fun, I'm not going to do it," he says. Now, that is a good New Year's resolution.
We also love the glimpses into Tom Ford's relationship with famed ex-Paris Vogue Editor Carine Roitfeld that you can see in her book Irreverent. What would a retrospective of her career be without an acknowledgement of her close friendship with her former colleague at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent? Featured in this incredible tome - a must buy and, we have to say, the perfect christmas present! - are copies of handwritten notes from Ford, thanking and sharing and acknowledging and informing and giving along with photos of the close friends together.
"Carine, I couldn't do it without you, lots of love, Tom"
We also love the glimpses into Tom Ford's relationship with famed ex-Paris Vogue Editor Carine Roitfeld that you can see in her book Irreverent. What would a retrospective of her career be without an acknowledgement of her close friendship with her former colleague at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent? Featured in this incredible tome - a must buy and, we have to say, the perfect christmas present! - are copies of handwritten notes from Ford, thanking and sharing and acknowledging and informing and giving along with photos of the close friends together.
"Carine, I couldn't do it without you, lots of love, Tom"