Tom’s a rarity in fashion world which promotes awful ‘size zero’ culture
I met fashion designer tom Ford this week and he was a revelation.
Despite being one of the most celebrated fashionistas on the planet, he was funny, self-deprecating and refreshingly honest about his work.
He enjoys designing for women of all shapes and sizes and one of his proudest achievements was creating an outfit for Michelle Obama to wear when she met the Queen.
Tom has turned his hand to film directing and his new movie, Nocturnal Animals, is out now.
It examines revenge and the emptiness of consumerism, interesting themes for someone who has made his name and fortune in what some regard as the rather shallow world of fashion, but he completely gets the irony.
What a contrast with another famous designer, Tommy Hilfiger, who has been criticised for inferring that supermodel Gigi Hadid wasn’t really tall or thin enough to show off his clothes on the catwalk.
He put her in an unflattering, oversized red poncho coat that swamped Gigi’s tiny frame during a recent show.
As I’m sure you’d agree, anyone who thinks this stunning woman isn’t thin enough really should go to Specsavers.
There’s not an ounce of fat on her body. She has a flat tummy, toned arms and legs that go on forever.
Not surprisingly, Hilfiger was lambasted for his comments and swiftly backtracked.
He blamed “casting people” for putting Gigi in a big coat that covered her up, adding he would be upset if anyone thought he really believed the 21-year-old wasn’t slim enough to model his clothes.
Gigi, who is going out with former One Direction star Zayn Malik, has revealed that, shamefully, modelling agencies told her she was too fat and demanded she lose weight when starting out in the industry.
She is 5ft 10in and looks to me like a size eight. She’s absolutely beautiful and to suggest that she needs to be smaller is utterly ridiculous.
It sends out a horribly negative message to young girls and boys who are struggling with self-esteem and could be prone to eating disorders.
Gigi has risen about the controversy and, I’m glad to say, didn’t feel the need to go on a stupid diet to shed the non-existent pounds.
She has the confidence to ignore the pressure from agencies, casting directors and designers to be a size zero. Sadly, models who are new to the game feel they have to be bone thin in order to get jobs. It’s completely crazy. I know most designers want young, impossibly slim women to show off their clothes in glossy magazines because, ultimately, they are in a business and need to sell their ranges to as many people as possible.
A lot of them have collections designed for the High Street and department stores which are far more affordable and they have perfume, accessories and cosmetics which earn them a fortune.
Yet too many of them still feel they can make women feel bad about themselves.
Apart from class acts like Ford, of course.
He celebrates women of all ages, shapes and sizes – and that’s the way it should be.