History of Fashion Final Paper (Click here for original document)
Tom Ford’s Gucci: The Revolution of Hedonistic Glamour and Sensuality in 90s Fashion
Gucci F/W 1995 Campaign, photographed by Mario Testino, © 1995 Gucci S.p.A
Tom Ford’s tenure at Gucci from the 1990s to the early 2000s marked a pivotal moment in the history of fashion. Under his creative direction, Tom Ford transformed the struggling luxury brand from near-bankruptcy into a global fashion powerhouse. The beginning of this revolution was marked by Gucci’s Fall/Winter 1995 collection, which is the first collection Ford had complete creative control over. This landmark collection was a major departure from the early 90s anti-fashion movements which were followed by the waif, grunge, and heroin chic. Not to mention, it is a complete transformation from the brand’s originally conservative and traditional image that are usually associated with mature audiences. Bringing in a radical outlook for the modern consumers of the 90s, the Texas-born designer developed an identity for the fashion house that infuses smart, chic, wearability, with high glamour and sex appeal.
The image I selected for analysis is one of the photos from Ford’s F/W1995 campaign. Featuring supermodel Amber Valetta front and center, the campaign presents a chic yet sensual look with barely-buttoned shiny satin shirts and hip hugging velvet trousers, paired with a matching blue mohair coat. Making eye contact with the viewers, she strikes a powerful pose, demanding the audiences’ attention and emanating control. This conveys an underlying theme of power, especially the power of confidence, which is a prevalent concept that is identifiable in Ford’s campaigns and runways. Showing Amber Valetta as the only model staring directly at the camera not only puts her as the main attention of the whole image–but it further made the campaign irresistible to ignore by enticing and capturing the attention of audiences with the supermodel’s direct gaze. Wearing a similar silhouette, the male models on both sides sported an ensemble of colored shirts with dark velvet suits, also leaving a few buttons unbuttoned to slightly reveal their bare chests. By displaying wearable and smart-chic outfits in a sensual manner, this image perfectly encapsulates Tom Ford’s clean, polished take on luxury and sensuality.
This campaign was styled by Carine Roitfeld and shot by Mario Testino, who both continued to collaborate with Ford in creating Gucci’s campaigns in the following years. Carine Roitfeld became Tom Ford’s muse, stylist, and creative collaborator throughout his tenure at Gucci–styling Gucci’s campaigns and runway looks. Mario Testino, on the other hand, is an accomplished fashion photographer who photographed almost all of Gucci’s campaigns and runway shows. Together, Ford, Roitfeld, and Testino formed a power trio that revived the fashion industry of the 90s. This FW95 collection’s campaign is considered much more subtle in its levels of raunchiness, unlike Gucci’s other campaigns in later years which were increasingly provocative and scandalous. Two examples include Gucci’s campaigns from Spring/Summer 1998 (Fig. 1) and Spring/Summer 2003 (Fig. 2). These campaigns are two of Gucci’s most famous and controversial ad campaigns of all time, with each featuring sexual imageries that evoked wanting, seduction, and fantasy. Ford’s groundbreaking and provocative marketing vision redefined the significance of the mainstream marketing quip– “sex sells”. The trio eventually became attributed for its sex-filled, irreverent, and controversial aesthetics that dominated fashion advertising for a decade from the late 90s onwards.
Fig. 1 Gucci S/S 1998 campaign, Erin Cummings and Ryan Locke photographed by Luis Sanchis, 1998.
Fig. 2 Gucci S/S 2003 campaign, Carmen Kass photographed by Mario Testino, 2003.
According to Valerie Steele’s Erotic Allure, “Fashion’s sexualized imagery can be seen as an expression of a broader cultural trend toward sexual liberation and experimentation,” suggesting the shift towards a more outward expression of sexuality for fashion during the 90s, and another reason as to why Tom Ford’s Gucci successfully captured people’s attention at the time. The 90s began with the emergence of a widespread anti-fashion stance during the decade’s early recessionary years, as a response to the conspicuous consumption and increased wealth disparity of the late 80s. The fashion scene at the time was dominated by the grunge look, heavily inspired by bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. In the following years, femininity made a return and womenswear began displaying more sultry themes. Following the rise of the supermodels, high fashion became interesting again for the general public. Prior to Tom Ford’s first Gucci collection, sexy and fetishistic fashion started appearing in the runways of fashion houses such as Versace and Dolce & Gabbana. From bondage dresses to underwear as outerwear, sexuality was displayed more evidently than ever before (at the time) through fashion, and more women are finding interest in expressing this new form of empowerment.
In the early 1990s, however, Gucci was struggling to stay relevant, facing declining sales and a tarnished brand image. Originally associated with old-school glamour, the Italian fashion house was known for its signature red and green striped pattern, horsebit loafers, bamboo bag handles, and the interlocking "GG" logo. Along came Tom Ford, who eventually was appointed creative director of the brand in 1994. Bringing a modern take on glamour into the brand, the 70s inspired Fall/Winter 1995 collection was the first glimmer of brilliance into Tom Ford’s creative takeover for Gucci. The collection’s runway show opened with Amber Valetta walking under a spotlight wearing a half-unbuttoned lime green satin shirt and low-slung dark blue velvet hipster pants, with a lime-green mohair coat over it. The F/W 1995 collection single-handedly revived the fashion house’s finances and blasted Tom Ford’s career in the industry. Reporting on Gucci’s F/W 1995 collection, fashion critic Sarah Mower described that the “The postglam change has to do with Ford’s very American knack for making luxury accessible,” adding a quote by Tom Ford stating: “Whenever anybody asks me what luxury is, I always say that it’s whatever’s the easiest” . From clogs and classic loafers, Ford transformed the classic Gucci footwear into a platform loafer, a spa sandal, and then, coinciding with the exit of grunge and the return of powerful femininity, into a high-heeled pointed toe stiletto. This transformation transcends beyond Gucci’s designs or runway shows, but also its brand image and advertising, as shown by the image selected for this paper’s analysis. With his full creative control, it became clear to the 90s fashion scene that Tom Ford brought sexy back, and Gucci became sexy.
Throughout his 10-year tenure as creative director at Gucci, Tom Ford has left a legacy for the Gucci brand which remains iconic and influential to this day. With the help of styling from Carine Roitfeld and photography by Mario Testino, Ford knew exactly who to bring together and collaborate with to further achieve his vision. Altogether, the trio’s creative vision defined the fashion aesthetic of the 90s–a boldly glamorous style that balanced between seductive sex appeal and refined elegance. By infusing sensuality and hedonism into Gucci’s runway shows and campaigns, Ford brought sexiness and glamour to the brand while still building on what the house stands for, bringing it towards a new era of fashion.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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