Tom Ford: Gucci 1990's Gold

This is one of my favourite eras in fashion. Tom Ford took the reins at Gucci as Creative Director in 1994 and as such, he transformed the verging on bankrupt, staid Italian fashion house into a sexy, stylish, edgy and much coveted brand. The equestrian style & conservative Gucci Tweeds and red & green trims were joined by super sexy Haltson-esque designs such as velvet hipsters, skin tight satin shirts, slinky bias cut gowns slashed to the naval and pour-yourself-in tailored cigarette pants, accessorized with sky high heels and metal buckles and belts.

 

 Kate Moss, Gucci Show S/S 1996 - More on this show HERE

Between 1995 and 1996, Gucci sales increased by 90%. In 1995. Ford brought Carine Roitfeld (the future Editor of French Vogue) and Mario Testino (Kate Moss's bestie & popular fashion photographer) into the Gucci fold to style and shoot the campaigns, resulting in some of the most smoldering, sexy and sometimes subversive advertising campaigns fashion had ever seen. (The add of a man shaving a model's pubic hair into a Gucci G was particularly sacndalous). Models Amber Valetta, Georgina Grenville and Kate Moss brought the sexy, and how. Below are some of my favorite Gucci campaigns from this era.

Sophia Hesketh by Mario Testino

by Mario Testino, Gucci S/S 1998

 

 

Amber Valletta, Ludovico Benazzo

by Mario Testino, Gucci F/W 1995

 

 

 

 

Georgina Grenville & Ludovico Benazzo

by Mario Testino, Gucci F/W 1996

   

 

 Kate Moss for Tom Ford,  Gucci, 2001

 

 

Georgina Grenville, Jane Bradbury & Jason Fedele

by Mario Testino, Gucci S/S1997 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carolyn Murphy, Angela Lindvall & Gavin Matthews 

by Mario Testino, Gucci F/W 1997 

 

 

 

 

Carolyn Park Chapman, Jann Dunnin & Ludovico Benazzo

by Mario Testino, Gucci S/S 1996

 

Kiara Kabukuru & Jason Fedele

by Mario Testino, Gucci S/S1997 

 

Campaign images sourced from here, unless advised otherwise.