Beneath star-studded runways and longevous collections of curious creativity, the fashion industry is ultimately a business at its core. It relies on sales, loyalty and ultimately money to even function. Gucci - a brand of opulence and luxury mastery - has famously overcame the hardships of business, flourishing into a global fashion phenomenon. Does their success lie within a stellar business plan, strong innovative design roots…or both? Tom Ford is the answer.

Kate Moss walks for Gucci by Tom Ford, Spring/Summer 1996, wearing a sculpted bandeau and tailored satin trousers, punctuated by an elongated leather cord necklace. The ensemble distilled Ford’s directional codes of the era: reductionist sensuality, precision-cut minimalism, and a charged, nocturnal glamour. Her smudged cobalt eye and deconstructed hair added subversive edge to a silhouette that helped define the decade’s aesthetic. Courtesy of Getty Images, available via The Cut © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

An introduction to Gucci is inessential and honestly offensive, but their tumultuous journey to grandeur stardom needs to be discussed. As one of the world’s most influential brands, and arguably fashion’s number one it-girl, Gucci has redefined what we know as luxury serendipity: propelling unique, avant-garde designs and products into fruition. All eyes are on the luxury scene atm, and Gucci is that girl.

But, it hasn’t always been easygoing for Gucci. At some points in their famous history, prosperity did not seem promised: sales plummeting; lack of new design; even near bankruptcy. The avenue of success seemed a distant one, but - as we recognise in the modern day - Gucci fought back against all odds, with style.

Of course, fashion is inevitably a business under all the glitz and glam, and intertwining powerful business moves with elegantly curated collections seems essential for economic appraisal, as Gucci has mastered. Much like providing products aligned with a particular storyline, carefully aimed towards the target market. Sometimes an extra set of eyes with a different vision or fresh perspective can bring about an undeniable burgeon…perhaps the exact case for Gucci. In 1990, a foundation of everlasting success was cemented, with the emergence of fashion icon Tom Ford.

Tom Ford for Gucci Spring/Summer 2003 campaign. Photography by Mario Testino, available via Dazed Digital. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

What did Tom Ford do differently? And what were his visions, goals and progressions for Gucci in doing so?

In the mid 90s, the iconic fashion house was facing potential extinction; in the 2020s, Gucci is the epitome of class and sophistication. A complete redirection and levelling-up of their existing icon status in a matter of years. Perhaps the Tom Ford effect.

Tom Ford joined Gucci in 1990, after being hired by creative director Dawn Mello. He was (rightfully) appointed chief womens’ RTW designer. After barely 2 years he was promoted to Design Director (1992). And soon after that - Creative Director (1994).

His vision was clear; redefine people’s perspectives of Gucci, and in turn generate profit. This was a big risk, as Gucci’s financial disposition was worsening, the brand more at risk of loss than ever. Whilst Mauritzio Gucci (majority shareholder/owner when Tom Ford was appointed, and grandson of Gucci’s founder Guccio Gucci) wanted to keep the original family ethos of the brand, and Tom Ford wanted to create something novel, the finished product was a special display of colour, couture and outlandish possibility. With Gucci’s leather goods expertise, and the designing destiny of Tom Ford, the pairing was an inexorable milestone waiting to happen.The industry halted to study Ford as he had the power to revolutionise Gucci.

“This was the first collection that I had complete creative control over.” - Tom Ford for Vogue, on Life in Looks.

This was perhaps the pinnacle moment for Gucci. Tom Ford completely reimagined what was possible; a complete amalgamation of unexpected nerve and timeless glam.

At this point, Ford was able to fully express his vision for the brand. Which, evidently, was what Gucci needed. The AW95 collection steered Gucci in a whole different direction, with bright colours, velvets and a much more seductive vibe, for both menswear and womenswear. With streamlined, tight-fitting and sultry silhouettes, Ford enhanced Gucci’s portfolio into a house of reckless modernity; aligning with what people wanted to wear. Hence, attracting sales and attention.

Gucci was always tantamount to luxury, but now also to contemporary, brazen and alluring apparel.

This runway featured vibrant velvet suits for menswear, alongside silky, satin button ups from a womenswear POV (modelled as being buttoned low, giving a very modern and perhaps provocative vibe). This, combined with extravagant coats and flattering garments across the board curated the complete antithesis to the Gucci of before, which was expertly scarves and leather goods oriented. Gucci now had a plethora of products to offer, each piece pushing them that one stitch closer to global attainment. (This is not to say the original aesthetic of Gucci were lost, but enhanced and celebrated through Ford’s creativity.)

Elizabeth Hurley - 1995. Wearing a Tom Ford for Gucci white coat at the premiere of The American President with Hugh Grant. Capturing the essence of 90s fashion, and the love for the new era of Gucci. Photo by Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images, available via W Magazine. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

By channeling chic and classy designs that still personified the original vibe of Gucci, Tom Ford was able to position the brand into the view of celebrities, models and influencers of the time.

Kate Moss walked the runway (before later becoming the face of Gucci), and Madonna famously wore the blue silk button up top from this AW show at the MTV awards of 1995.

This brought attention to Gucci, and people stopped to take notice. Brands, especially in the modern climate where social media is paramount, rely on exposure. Being endorsed by celebrities who genuinely loved Tom Ford’s collection was a huge indicator that Gucci was heading to success. Gucci’s success as a business was just as important as designing for Ford, which is excellently translated through what he put on the runway. It's not just about the clothes, but the legacy they leave behind, especially when serving a huge house like Gucci.

AW95 - The Impact

The impact of this collection especially was grandiose. Perhaps because it's something completely unique by Gucci, maybe because of the attention of A-listers, and likely as a result of the ad campaign that accompanied this runway. Regardless - this collection earned Gucci the attention they always deserved. Like poetry, the whole world was mesmerised, and it really was just the beginning of an elaborate rebirth; a kaleidoscope of style, class and Gucci. This collection in particular, amongst other projects by Ford, significantly increased Gucci’s revenue, highlighting that his designs were not just what the fashion world craved, but also expertly fabricated to enhance the business.

Kate Moss in Tom Ford for Gucci 1995, featuring the signature blue satin button-up. Photo available via IG @90sanxiety. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Tom Ford knew what would sell, and therefore what would ameliorate Gucci. In 1995, Gucci's revenues doubled in just a year from the figures in 1994. Which, of course, related deeply to this collection, which is just one example of how Tom Ford helped turn Gucci around.

Ad Campaigns

Another of Tom Ford’s intelligent outputs for Gucci that were unique to Gucci was his plethora of seductive ad campaigns. They were often shocking and bold for the era. Each season got better and better. Gucci’s ad campaigns of the Tom Ford era typically featured a minimalistic aura through the clothing, with a sultry, enticing vibe from the models. This created authentic attention for Gucci, and gave a luxury and sophisticated imagery to the brand, with a little bit of edginess. Thus, allowing them to stand out amongst competitors, and efficiently showcase more of Tom Ford’s contributions.

The sort of visual mastery that makes you stop and stare. The quiet art of nerve, his campaigns across his tenure for Gucci solidify his creative presence, and represents his brave yet graceful ability to add an edge to the luxury brand through marketing. This image in particular allows models to be at the forefront of the campaign, in monochromatic black pieces, and the minimalist ‘GUCCI’ logo maintains a coherent and clean aesthetic. It’s giving luxury escapism; a unique vibe to other brands at the time. The kind of sexy, enticing imagery personifies Tom Ford’s knowledge as a designer, but also a businessman. He knew such images would make people take a moment to look at the ad, and that the rich, sleek, elegant vibe is what people wanted to buy. Gucci felt like an exclusive label, with clothes and curiosity of the future.This meant that, by incorporating his genius ad campaigns with collections of curious charm, Ford continued to revitalise Gucci. Proposing the creative director position to Tom Ford is likely one of Gucci’s most fruitful decisions. Over the decade he committed to being creative director, Tom Ford continuously and consistently redecorated Gucci, and put a lot of thought, clever analysis and style into all of his curations, both on and off the runway. In doing so, Gucci grew from a severely struggling business, to a worldwide fashion house, with arguably the most iconic and recognisable logo and branding. It all, perhaps, started with this moment.

The campaigns of Gucci today still capture that sleek, whimsical, enticing vibe that makes you want to shop the whole collection immediately. A complete resurrection.

Face to Face with Fashion

Another way Tom Ford rebuilt Gucci was through his interaction and relationship with his work. He was, and still is in his modern projects, very proud of the clothes he put on the runway. During his time at Gucci, he was not afraid to join his work on the runway, highlighting his unwavering dedication to the brand - setting him aside as a designer of boundless creativity, but also of boundless care. He wasn’t just sending anything down the runway, he had a clear plan and love for what he was doing. Whilst predominantly backstage, he famously made an appearance on the runway after his AW 95 show for Gucci. Ironically, it was stated in his contract that he was not to do so. But, with a collection that iconic, it would be kinda rude not to. This is just one instance that showcases his devotion to Gucci, but this was consistent throughout his role. Tom Ford was always behind the scenes and very involved with the details of all runways - a designer who truly cared about their craft, further helping Gucci to stand out from competitors, and grow in success tenfold.

Final Result?

Tom Ford for Gucci is likely one of the most iconic ‘resurrections’ in the industry. Firstly, relating to revenue. From 1994 (when Ford was announced CD), to 2003 (Ford’s departure), Gucci’s sales reached $3 billion, which is almost a 1200% increase. (info available via Forbes). This reflects the hard work of Tom Ford, Domenico De Sole (Gucci CEO 1994-2004) and all involved at Gucci. And, after exponential growth over the years, and following other fashion professionals purchasing stakes in Gucci (famously Bernard Arnault of LVMH, and François Pinault of Kering), Gucci was able to acquire other brands. For one, Yves Saint Laurent was acquired by Gucci in 1999…and Tom Ford became creative director of both. Completely unimaginable. This was followed by stakes in Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta in 2001.

Tom Ford ultimately departed Gucci in 2004, and began focusing on his own personal projects, such as the launch of his ‘Tom Ford’ brand in 2005, and filmmaking as a craft. But his legacy at Gucci is long-lived, and is a constant reminder of the hard work, intelligence and designing mastery that goes into reviving a brand, which he did so graciously.

Today, Gucci is part of Kering, which oversees other luxury brands, still including Bottega Veneta, YSL and Balenciaga, but also Alexander Mcqueen and Pomellato to name a few. Without Tom Ford’s contribution, Gucci may have never became a household name, and may not be here to dominate the runways of today.

There’s space for everyone in the fashion industry, and Tom Ford’s relentless career at Gucci highlights that, even amongst hardship and periods of uncertainty, brands and professionals can blossom into a beacon of success, in whatever aspect or department desired. Gucci by Tom Ford; a success story.

All Gucci?

Art Corner: Michael O’Guinn | COALESCE

The Perennial Gothic