Suit
2004 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This blue silk velvet man's suit, with its accompanying accessories, comes from Tom Ford's autumn/winter 2004-5 collection for Gucci, his last for the company. Tom Ford served as the head designer for Gucci from 1990 to 2004 and was instrumental in bringing a commercial sexiness to its fashions for men and women. As seen here, Ford’s 2004-5 collection updated the traditional dinner suit with a form-fitting silhouette, jewel-toned velvet and slight ruffles at the cuffs and down the shirt front.
Fashion journalist Guy Trebay noted in the New York Times that in the past Ford mined diverse masculine stereotypes, from 1970s gigolos to Rat Pack smoothies and moustachioed porn stars. ('Review/Fashion: Selling Not Just a Man, But a Gucci Man, New York Times, 15 January, 2004). In this final collection, Ford presented an image of masculinity that amalgamated these types: models walked down the catwalk holding a glass of whiskey and a cigarette in one hand, what Trebay described as 'a stylised version of the Hugh Hefner hedonist: louche, debonair, cigarette smoking and with a tumbler of Johnny Walker Black Label, literally, at hand.'
Fashion journalist Guy Trebay noted in the New York Times that in the past Ford mined diverse masculine stereotypes, from 1970s gigolos to Rat Pack smoothies and moustachioed porn stars. ('Review/Fashion: Selling Not Just a Man, But a Gucci Man, New York Times, 15 January, 2004). In this final collection, Ford presented an image of masculinity that amalgamated these types: models walked down the catwalk holding a glass of whiskey and a cigarette in one hand, what Trebay described as 'a stylised version of the Hugh Hefner hedonist: louche, debonair, cigarette smoking and with a tumbler of Johnny Walker Black Label, literally, at hand.'
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 13 parts.
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| Brief description | Men's silk velvet dinner suit with cotton shirt, silk handkerchief and bow tie, patent leather shoes, cufflinks and shirt studs, Tom Ford for Gucci, Autumn/Winter 2004/5, Italy. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Label for the exhibition: "The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014"
MAN’S EVENING SUIT
Gucci, Autumn/Winter 2004/5
Silk velvet
From the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, Gucci menswear embodied the Italian notion of sprezzatura, or dressing with a stylish nonchalance. Under Tom Ford, the design house produced wardrobes of trim, sleek suits and tailored separates. Suits such as this one were made for formal occasions, but suggested a less strict attitude toward conventional dress. Frequently featured in the press, Ford was Gucci’s own best menswear model.
GIVEN BY GUCCI
V&A: T.7:1 TO 11-2005(05/04/2014-27/07/2014) |
| Credit line | Given by the maker |
| Summary | This blue silk velvet man's suit, with its accompanying accessories, comes from Tom Ford's autumn/winter 2004-5 collection for Gucci, his last for the company. Tom Ford served as the head designer for Gucci from 1990 to 2004 and was instrumental in bringing a commercial sexiness to its fashions for men and women. As seen here, Ford’s 2004-5 collection updated the traditional dinner suit with a form-fitting silhouette, jewel-toned velvet and slight ruffles at the cuffs and down the shirt front. Fashion journalist Guy Trebay noted in the New York Times that in the past Ford mined diverse masculine stereotypes, from 1970s gigolos to Rat Pack smoothies and moustachioed porn stars. ('Review/Fashion: Selling Not Just a Man, But a Gucci Man, New York Times, 15 January, 2004). In this final collection, Ford presented an image of masculinity that amalgamated these types: models walked down the catwalk holding a glass of whiskey and a cigarette in one hand, what Trebay described as 'a stylised version of the Hugh Hefner hedonist: louche, debonair, cigarette smoking and with a tumbler of Johnny Walker Black Label, literally, at hand.' |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.7:1 to 13-2005 |
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| Record created | July 13, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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