Tom Ford is probably one of the most recognized icons of design of our time. He is back in the fashion business, attempting to alter - if not correct - a phenomenon he helped create while he was a design chief at the house of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.
Now under his name he has created and redefined a new standard for male style. Ford's philosophy is that he wants both the industry and consumers to end the hunt for the next big thing in favor of a long-term commitment to personal style.
He wants people to appreciate the details in the things they buy and can keep for years to come. "It's a reaction to our world, where everything is so impersonal and things are less and less about quality, less and less about nuance - less and less about people. Maybe I'm in the early stages of longing for the generation before," says Ford.
Tom Ford Store in New York
Tom Ford opened a very Saville Row-inspired menswear store last year designed by William Sofield on Madison Avenue, New York. Sofield was a translator to Tom Ford aesthetics and business philosophy.
The shop is quiet, elegant and homey - or at least homey for a cool character like Ford. With abstract art by Lucio Fontana and a crocodile-inspired chair - both from his own home - along with beaver rugs and a slate-gray palette, Ford attempted to re-create the mood of a 1930s men's club. There are butlers to cater to clients' whims, from pouring a drink at the bar to fetching lunch from a nearby restaurant. Ford is basically bringing glamour back.
It also doesn't hurt that Ford doesn't intend to drastically change styles from season to season, if at all. His clothes are investment pieces just like the furniture pieces you should have at home. How can you achieve Tom Fords style in your home? Well just follow his recipe creating a design that is elusive, handsome, provocative, and the key word controversial.
Below I have assembled some furniture pieces and accessories that have a sense of Tom Ford's timeless style:
This great chair and footstool set gives an old world feel but reads well with contemporary furnishings. The perfect combination for Mr. Ford's personal style.
Vintage chair with stool
A unique light fixture made of animal horns that are formed into panes to create a modern feel adds a sense of sophisticated quirkiness.
http://www.plantationhomeaccesories.com
A different injection of the horn material, this time married with chrome legs for another natural but fun element in these great nesting tables.
An organically shaped mirror lends itself to the more modern side of Ford's style. The simplicity of the mirror will never be outdated and he pattern adds a feminine quality to his usually very masculine spaces.
http://www.plantationhomeaccesories.com
The perfect accessory for an entranceway console, sofa table, or desk these boxes exude class and the fact that they are vintage only adds to the "mens lounge" appeal.
Vintage rosewood boxesA perfect example of a blend of modern, classic and masculine.
Stool with chrome ringWhat's more classic than animal print? A fun zebra-print rug is a great way to add pattern and whimsy to a Tom Ford inspired room.
http://www.johnlewis.comThis elegant lamp covers all the bases: modern, reads well with vintage pieces, masculine, and clean. (And the black lampshade doesn't hurt either!)
http://www.wandrlust.comThis Phillippe Starck sofa is contemporary but the charcoal fabric is reminiscent of a men's suit making it a perfect match.
http://www.cassinausa.comA Moooi urn is the perfect accessory - black, classic and fun.
http://www.moooi.comlocally available at http://www.onlyhuman.ca
If you have ever seen any of Tom Ford's advertising you can see that this slightly provocative photography would be right at home in a space designed just for him.
http://www.davidellingsen.com
locally available at www.libertyinside.com
And of course, what would any Tom Ford inspired space be without a little crocodile?
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