The designer offered up a colorful assortment that speaks to his hope for a brighter future.
A pale pink, softly constructed suit with drawstring pants and a sheer tank top set the tone for a very relaxed men’s wear offering that showcased Tom Ford’s unique take on leisure dressing for spring, and was a sign of the times.
Although the designer has made no secret of his personal reaction to the coronavirus pandemic and the social unrest that has blanketed this country for months because of his obsession with cable news networks, he nonetheless rose above the fray to offer a collection that speaks to a brighter future.
While he seriously considered skipping a season given the health crisis, his mood changed when the lockdown eased and he was able to have some friends over for a socially distanced outdoor dinner at his Los Angeles home. It was then that he found himself ready to get dressed again, and saw that his guests felt the same.
Keeps it casual and fun
“Men seemed to want to put on a clean shirt, a nicely cut pair of pants and to actually wash their hair,” he said. “There was a light at the end of the tunnel. Or at least an imaginary light: the hope of a happier time to come. That is what this collection is for me. Still a somewhat casual moment as it relates to fashion, but a time in which we need clothes that make us smile. Clothes that make us feel good.”
That feel-good attitude was evident in an array of retro floral prints that appeared on silk pants, flowy shirts and a formfitting blazer that could easily double as vintage kitchen wallpaper.
Pajama dressing — a big trend of the spring season — enhanced the Bohemian feel of the lineup as seen in the silky floral robes in a variety of patterns that provided a very casual spin to eveningwear for the man who still wants to have a good time — even if he’s in his own living room.
Formalwear re-invented.
A layered hot pink hoodie, a pair of purple lounge pants and a bright neon green cropped parka were other pieces that could easily put the life of the party on overdrive.
The accessories were especially relevant with oversized tote bags and light-tinted sunglasses along with leather iPhone cases that doubled as necklaces offering some of the most relevant merchandising opportunities.
While the vibrant colors and prints dominated the collection, a peak-lapel, single-breasted suit with a relaxed feel, offered up in beige or brown, demonstrated that while casualwear may rule right now, there will always be a place for business for the Tom Ford man.
He summed it up this way: “I can only hope that by the time these clothes reach the stores in spring ’21 that it will be a more optimistic time. A time when we can all perhaps breathe a sigh of relief and begin to return to our lives as we knew them. The global zeitgeist always affects fashion and for me this longing for a hopeful spring translates into somewhat classic relaxed clothes but clothes that make me smile. Clothes to have a bit of fun in.”
