Entertainment News
2006-12-09
Tom Ford to tap
into men's fashion boom
Tom Ford, the
designer who helped revitalize the Gucci brand, is tapping
into a growing market for male fashion with the launch of
Tom Ford, the
designer who helped revitalize the Gucci brand, is tapping
into a growing market for male fashion with the launch of a
new menswear line and shop in New York next year.
Ermenegildo
Zegna, owner of the world's biggest luxury menswear group
and Ford's partner in the venture, believes that men
are finally waking up to fashion.
"Men are becoming
more feminine. They enjoy shopping, they take more
time over the way they look, they travel and they shop
around; they finally are taking better care of
themselves," Zegna told Reuters. "Men are not only
there to buy cars and art, they've realized there is
also fashion."
Zegna, whose
great grandfather started his Italy-based group, said the
time is ripe for Ford's return to the fashion fray, with
menswear and accessories showing the biggest growth of
any area in the luxury industry over the past few
years.
"It is going to
be a great collection. Many, many retailers are
waiting in line to buy," Zegna told Reuters in an interview
at a luxury goods conference.
"The store will
be opening in New York next spring and then the rest
of the stores will follow."
Ford roared to
fashion stardom in his 14 years at Gucci, with his sexy,
tight-fitting designs coming to define luxury and celebrity
glamour in the 1990s.
Since his abrupt
split from Gucci and parent company PPR two years ago,
he has only dabbled in fashion, putting his name to a range
of sunglasses. Ford's menswear line, originally
planned for release this year, promises to be his
big relaunch.
Ford's split from
Gucci proved to be one of the biggest public spats
to hit the fashion industry in recent years.
But his former
employer Francois-Henri Pinault, chairman of the Gucci
Group's parent company PPR, speaking at the same conference,
had no regrets about showing Ford the door.
"When we decided
not to renew Tom Ford's contract people were shocked,"
he said. "But it worked out well for all in the end."
(Reuters)
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