Gucci by Tom Ford aqua blue fox fur coat, fw 1997
View Similar Items
Gucci by Tom Ford aqua blue fox fur coat, fw 1997
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: IT 40 - FR 36 - UK 8 - US 4 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140216577242
Tom Ford for Gucci
No one understands sex appeal quite like Tom Ford, who joined Gucci as a womens-wear designer in 1990.
At the time, the internationally renowned Italian label was better known for leather goods than luxury fashion. It was also nearly bankrupt. After creative director Dawn Mello left in 1994, following a Bahrain-based investment group becoming Gucci’s majority shareholder, Ford was named creative director. The American designer soon infused the brand with a fresh sensuality and bold style.
Ford's potent vision of sexed-up femininity spanned everything from shirts to shoes to handbags and other accessories at Gucci — he reimagined the house's iconic double-ring-and-bar Horsebit hardware, a reference to the brand’s equestrian history, as a seductive low-slung belt, worn by Madonna when accepting an MTV video music award in 1995. For his fall show during that year, in which Kate Moss walked down the runway in an unbuttoned satin shirt, velvet hip-huggers and tousled hair, heralded an exciting, glammed-up era for the once fusty brand. Vogue critic Sarah Mower called it “one of those hitting-in-the-solar-plexus moments.”
As Ford shot to fame, he continued to explore plunging necklines, such as in the black and white looks of the Fall 1996 collection, and sumptuous fabrics like leather and tweed, with the Fall 2000 ready-to-wear collection ranging from sultry silk evening dresses to plush belted coats.
Ford also cranked up the seduction in the provocative ads for Gucci, particularly with regard to campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, which the fashion house acquired in 1999 (Ford was also named creative director for YSL and designed the brand’s ready-to-wear collection). Gucci's Fall/Winter 1997 campaign featured Carolyn Murphy grasping Angela Lindvall in what looked like a video still; in another shot, a face pressed against a foot in a lipstick-red heel. Each promoted a vision of modern fashion where women were sexually confident, the materials were luxurious and the styles were fearless.
In 2004, Ford and Gucci president Domenico De Sole left the company after failing to agree on the renewal of their contracts. In 2006, with De Sole as chairman, Ford launched his wildly successful eponymous menswear label. Today Ford is also an author, film director and chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Find vintage Tom Ford Gucci day dresses, jackets and shoulder bags on 1stDibs.
Gucci
Long before trend-bucking creative director Alessandro Michele brought his hallucinatory “Utopian Fantasy” campaign to Gucci, it was a modest Italian leather shop. Today, it’s an internationally renowned luxury house with an iconic logo, and vintage Gucci clothing, handbags and shoes are among high fashion's most covetable goods.
Guccio Gucci (1881–1953) admired the stylish suitcases he saw wealthy guests arrive with at the Savoy Hotel in London, where he worked as a bellhop. So, in 1921, after a stint at Franzi, a luggage company in his hometown of Florence, he opened a leather goods shop of his own.
At first, Gucci’s Florence business specialized in equestrian accessories. But as its reputation flourished, particularly among the English aristocracy, so too did its footprint. In 1938, he brought three of his sons — Aldo, Vasco and Rodolfo — into the business and expanded it to Rome and later Milan. In the mid-1930s, a League of Nations embargo against Italy pushed Gucci to experiment with alternatives to imported leather. Its woven hemp fabric from Naples, adorned with the brand’s signature diamond print, was a hit, especially among A-list celebrities. The material was first used on suitcases before finding enduring popularity on handbags. (No list of revered designer purses would be complete without Gucci.)
In the 1950s, Elizabeth Taylor carried one of Gucci’s bamboo-handled tote bags, another adaptation to material rationing. After Jackie Kennedy was seen sporting a slouchy Gucci tote in 1961, it was renamed for the First Lady. Then Grace Kelly, on a visit to the boutique in Milan, inspired Rodolfo Gucci to work with Italian illustrator and Gucci textile designer Vittorio Accornero on the Flora print in 1966. Taking cues from Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera, with its pattern of flora and insects, it was painted entirely by hand and featured no fewer than 37 colors.
In 1953, just 15 days after opening his first store on New York’s 5th Avenue, Guccio passed away at 72. The early 1970s saw store openings in Tokyo and Hong Kong, but by the late 1980s, Gucci was floundering. Rodolfo Gucci took charge in 1982, but family drama and lawsuits ensued. In 1993, Rodolfo’s son, Maurizio, transferred his shares in the company to Investcorp, ending the family’s involvement in Gucci. Dawn Mello, then-president of Bergdorf Goodman, joined as creative director in 1989. But it was Tom Ford, who took over as creative director in 1994, who ultimately revived the brand.
Ford’s racy ads, shot by photographers such as Mario Testino, stirred controversy. And his potent vision of sexed-up femininity — with “jewel-toned satin shirts unbuttoned to there,” as Vogue described his breakthrough 1995 runway show — was wildly successful. The new millennium brought new ownership — Pinault Printemps Redoute in 2004 — and a more toned-down vision from Frida Giannini, who became sole creative director in 2006. Alessandro Michele was named creative director in 2015, and the storied brand took a giant leap forward.
Find vintage Gucci clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
- Christian Dior by John Galliano red croc-embossed lambskin leather coat, fw 2005By Christian Dior, John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior red croc-embossed lambskin leather coat ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Double-breasted ▪ Large logo etched buttons ▪ Silk lining...Category
Early 2000s French Coats and Outerwear
- Christian Dior by John Galliano lizard skin blazer jacket, fw 2002By Christian Dior, John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior lizard skin blazer jacket ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ 100% Lizard ▪ Notched lapel ▪ Two front flap pockets ▪ FR 40 - UK 12 -...Category
Early 2000s French Coats and Outerwear
- Martin Margiela giant fluorescent lime goat hair padded tube gilet, fw 2007By Maison Martin MargielaLocated in London, GB▪ Archive Martin Margiela oversized padded gilet ▪ Fluorescent lime goat hair ▪ Doughnut shape ▪ Backless ▪ Polyester padding ▪ Size Small ▪ Fall...Category
Early 2000s Italian Jackets
- John Galliano brown leather twisted off-shoulder jacket, fw 2000By John GallianoLocated in London, GB▪ John Galliano brown leather jacket ▪ Off-shoulder ▪ Bias cut panels ▪ Front button closure ▪ Asymmetric hemline ▪ FR 42 - UK 14 - US 8 ▪ Fall-Winter 2000Category
Early 2000s French Jackets
- Benjamin Fourrures blue fox fur coat, c. 1980Located in London, GBBenjamin Fourrures blue fox fur coat constructed with diagonal panels. c. 1980Category
1980s Swiss Coats and Outerwear
- Vivienne Westwood unisex multicoloured striped satin evening jacket S/S 1993By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBSpring-Summer 1993Category
1990s British Jackets
- Sara Drower Vegetable Motif Embroidered DusterLocated in Scottsdale, AZEat your greens and wear your greens you green goddess!! This is a highly detailed embroidered and quilted Sara Drower duster! She used a fun vegetable print...Category
1990s American Jackets
- ALEXANDER WANG blue & black DENIM PRINT LEATHER BIKER Jacket 2 XXSBy Alexander WangLocated in Zürich, CHauthentic Alexander Wang washed out biker jacket in indigo and black lambskin with a notch collar, epaulettes, one zipper chest pocket and two front slit pockets. Closes on the front...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Jackets
$632 Sale Price20% OffFree Shipping - Vintage Escada Margaretha Ley Blue Blazer With Avant Garde Geometric DesignBy Escada, Escada Margaretha LeyLocated in Portland, ORThis is a rare Escada vintage blazer with geometric designs reminiscent of Thierry Mugler's style! This pale blue jacket has dramatic dark blue triangles at the waist and under the c...Category
Late 20th Century German Blazers
$149 Sale Price69% Off - F/W 1991 Gianni Versace Couture Green Yellow Oversized Plaid Tweed CoatBy Gianni Versace Couture, Gianni VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a fabulous multicolor plaid tweed Gianni Versace oversized coat, designed by Gianni Versace. From the Fall/Winter 1991 collection, coats made from the same tweed debuted o...Category
1990s Italian Jackets
- S/S 1994 Gianni Versace Couture NWT Blue Metallic Crinkled Lamé Medusa CoatBy Gianni Versace Couture, Gianni VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a rare blue metallic crinkled lamé Gianni Versace Couture coat, designed by Gianni Versace. This rare piece cannot be found on a ready-to-wear runway, but the fabric debut...Category
1990s Italian Double-Breasted Jackets
- Blue Dyed Mongolian Lamb + Sheared Rabbit Fur JacketLocated in Sparks, NVVintage 1980s dyed cobalt blue fur bomber jacket in sheared rabbit and Mongolian lamb by Élan from the estate of Pamela Lewis (Jerry Lewis/ Gary Lewis). Fully lined with front zip cl...Category
1980s Chinese Jackets
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Explore a Century of Gucci Fashion in London
The iconic Italian label’s traveling exhibition has just arrived in London.
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.