Tom Ford’s guide for success has always consisted of minimalist fashion, maximum sex drive. He thrives in this sanctified sensual opposition; only Ford can be seen as creating minimalist design with the same ferocity as a maximalist. The Texan born designer has recently announced his final collection following almost thirty years working in fashion, amassing an extraordinary cultural output from his influential years at Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and eponymous brand – a label which he has just sold to Estée Lauder for $2.8 Billion.
In a 2005 editorial for W Magazine shot by Steven Klein entitled “Valley Of The Dolls,” Ford is seen with an industrial-sized sander, sanding down the bronzed behind of a bleach blonde. It’s symptomatic of how Tom Ford rose to success by polishing what appeared to be jagged to reveal the shiny, sleek and glam.