As a brand, Tom Ford is one of the highest standards in luxury, often feeling unattainable. The designer, who is also a film director, usually dresses only one starlet per major red carpet event, furthering the air of being unreachable, even among the A-list. Well, now, Tom Ford will be sold at online e-tailer Net-a-Porter, narrowing the gap and giving the brand more accessibility and availability to more customers in the e-commerce world.
Net-a-Porter will serve as the very first site to sell Ford's ready-to-wear collections for both men and women, according to Women's Wear Daily. The ready-to-wear pieces will be available in July on Net-a-Porter. Mr Porter follows in September.
That's a big deal since up until now, Ford pieces were only sold at his own boutiques, of which there are 110, at global department stores, and via his own site, which also sells accessories and beauty items.
Some super luxe brands often hesitate to dip their toes into the e-commerce pool, which I can understand, since there is nothing quite like feeling and smelling a super pricy bag with your hands or trying on an expensive gown before plunking down a huge sum of cash to purchase it. Plus, customers often have to seek out these brands, which rely on interacting with the consumer's senses more so than the point-and-click visual, IMO.
However, Net-a-Poter partnered with Chanel for the Coco Crush fine jewelry range this past spring. It was the first time that Chanel sold online, so perhaps change is afoot with how mega luxe brands view online buying and selling. They don't seem as resistant to reaching even more customers; selling online doesn't have to mean sacrificing some of the mystique that comes with being a luxury brand.
According to WWD, Net-a-Porter will stock Ford's business-suit and tuxedo program, the denim range, leather jackets, dresses, shoes, cosmetics, signature fragrances, and more. It sounds like the whole kit and caboodle will be shoppable, Ford fans.
To celebrate the wider availability of Tom Ford, these are five of my favorite Tom Ford red carpet dresses.
1. Rihanna
How could we forget those pasties?
2. Rihanna... Again
Or her croc skin-like dress? It showed hardly any skin, but was sexier than anything she wore that did the opposite.
3. Reese Witherspoon
This white column gown with black accents actually grew on me. I didn't love it at first, but over time, I have come to appreciate how it fit the actress like a glove.
4. Rita Ora
The fashion plate wore a clingy, crimson column gown by Ford to the Met Gala in 2015 and it was perfect for her edgy style.
5. Hayden Panettiere
The actress purchased this black and white Tom Ford gown to wear to the Golden Globes one year and it looked amazing on her. It was a bit of a fashion snafu, since Ford only dresses one celeb per event, lending out a gown to a starlet, and he dressed someone else (Naomi Watts). But how amazing is it that the Panettiere loved Ford's work so much she shelled out $10,000 to wear him, instead of borrowing from a designer gratis?
There you go, fashionistas! Make plans to star perusing Tom Ford at Net-a-Porter next month.
Images: Getty (6)
