after an absence of—well, was he really absent?—tom ford’s flagship store is set to open it’s doors on thursday at 845 madison avenue.
the tom ford collection, done in collaboration with ermenegildo zegna, will feature ready-to-wear, tailoring, shoes, leather goods and other accessories, eyewear and fragrance.
the three-story, 8,680-square-foot boutique has a palette of grey, brown and black with suede lined walls, beaver rugs, ebony fixtures and gold foil mirrors. ford said in an interview with wwd that he had been thinking about the importance of service ever since he left the gucci group in 2004.
“I didn’t know what to wear,” the designer recalled. “I spent time shopping and I thought there’s nothing out there that is right for me. Everything was too trendy, and the quality wasn’t great, so I went to a Savile Row tailor, which is a very dry experience. You go into a little room, and they yank a little curtain and you sit on a little stool. There’s no romance that goes into it…Where would Cary Grant shop if he were alive today?”
the store will be open by appointment only from 7am to 11am, then open to the public from 11am to 5pm, and revert again to an appointment-only basis until 7pm. there are waitstaff on hand to cater to a customers every whim, from custom making a suit to fetching a coke. shirts come in 350 colors, 35 fabrics, seven collars, five cuff variations. there’s also a perfumery where clients can whip up their own scent or buy a premade selection.
so what does this mean? not much for women, unfortunately, until ford decides to start doing womenswear again (and here’s hoping he does). but it does mean that justin timberlake isn’t the only one who’s bringing sexy back. i say get your man out of those baggy abercrombie jeans and backwards baseball hats and get them some crisp shirts, sleek cufflinks or some cologne.
some friends of mine on tfs are planning on staking out the store on thursday…i’ll have some comments from their firsthand impressions.
pics from nytimes and wwd
