Tom Ford's sobriety impacted on his designs.

Tom Ford

Tom Ford

The 56-year-old fashion designer has openly admitted to battling with alcoholism many years ago, and the star believes since he quit drinking and stopped taking drugs his creations have reflected his personal changes and become "more sober" as well.

Speaking to Business of Fashion Online, the creative mastermind - who launched his eponymous brand in 2006 - said: "I haven't done anything exuberant in a long time. I used to give these hedonistic parties at Gucci. Alcohol-fuelled -- and in many cases, drug-fuelled -- these big parties that people used to love. My life changed a lot when I quit drinking, quit doing drugs, quit smoking, quit all of these things, and it does make you more sober. It made my clothes more sober. It took me a while maybe to be able to get back to being able to be joyful and silly without alcohol."

The fashion mogul is set to showcase his new designs at New York Fashion Week, and he plans to continue exhibiting his creations for many more seasons to come.

Speaking about the fashion extravaganza and the future of his company, he said: "I thought it was really important to have a proper show during a Fashion Week. And I'd like to remain in to New York, at least for a few seasons, so that people know, 'Oh, okay, Tom Ford. He's on the calendar. He shows then.' That's important from a business standpoint, to try to have that consistency that I have lacked."

And Tom hopes the fashion show will attract "younger customers" to his label, although he still wants to maintain the older generation of "very loyal" consumers.

The 'Nocturnal Animals' director - who was previously the creative director of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent - added: "I have a very loyal customer who has followed me from Gucci. They were in their thirties when I was in my thirties. They're now in their fifties, approaching 60. That customer? She still reads magazines. Yes, she's on Instagram and she's contemporary and she lives in an urban world, but she still likes to hold a magazine.

"What do I hope this show will do for us? I hope it brings in a younger customer. It's a departure. It's a bit more modern.

"I think now, in a show, people look for items and everything is so exaggerated that it often almost looks like costumes, but when you break it down there's a great jacket or a great bag. Women are buying items that are very potent and concentrated that can give them the feeling of the season."


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