Cheryl Shops

Holy shit, part 2
Okay, I've caught my breath. Yikes, kids, this is the end of an era. As much as I may knock Tom Ford for designing by committee, you can't not appreciate what he's done for Gucci and for fashion itself. We have him to thank for the return of the boot cut, designer logos (you could say this is a bad thing, but, let's face it, we're conspicuous consumers and we dig the logos), aviator glasses, velvet jackets, wispy chiffon dresses, stilletos (and assorted fuck-me shoes), peasant blouses, and a host of other components of our modern-day wardrobes. Pretty much everything he designs is unbelievably sexy, and it stuns me how every season he comes up with new ideas and new ways to be so sensual, provocative, and sophisticated. Gucci can hire a new designer or one of Ford's underlings (or several), but I'd think it would be impossible to match his level of innovation.

Aside from his design talents, Ford, with Domenico De Sole, acquired a host of brands for Gucci, including Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, and Bottega Veneta. I can only hope that Gucci will continue to support these smaller designers because, God knows, I live three blocks away from the McQueen and McCartney stores and there is never anyone in either of them. While McQueen is a (mostly misunderstood) genius and McCartney, well, has yet to really prove herself as an independent designer, brands like these are culturally and artistically significant, and need to be nurtured, as they probably couldn't exist without the help of a big corporation, sadly.

I don't mean to sound so morbid; I realize that Ford is leaving the company, not dying. I can only hope that the parent company, Pinault Printemps-Redoute, and its owner, French billionaire François Pinault, don't royally screw things up. I believe De Sole was near retirement age; I hope he enjoys it with style. As for Ford, I can't wait to see what he does next.