Tom Ford is Now Australia’s Go-To for Luxury Fashion and Beauty
Tom Ford is famous for his prolific career. After starting out as Gucci’s ready-to-wear designer, he’s become known for his own fashion label, for being the filmmaker behind critically acclaimed works like Nocturnal Animals, and for his status as one of the biggest pop culture icons of the ‘90s.
Today, he can add something new to that list: being a billionaire. He joined the club in 2022 after the acquisition of Tom Ford Brands by Estée Lauder—thanks to the deal being valued at over $2.8 billion (about £2.3 billion). The move follows a long-term partnership between the two brands spanning nearly two decades, and it means Tom Ford’s designer label can continue expanding outside Ford’s home country of the US—including in locations like the UK, and particularly in Australia.
Tom Ford already has an extensive presence down under. With additional support from Estée Lauder, the brand has continued to rise as Australia’s go-to for luxury fashion and beauty. Now, luxury goods enthusiasts can easily procure the following wherever they are in the country:
Made-to-measure pieces
Credit: @haseebziia on Instagram
Tom Ford is known as the king of the tuxedo, with a penchant for classic suits with a bit of a twist, as seen in his S/S 2016 menswear collection. The brand’s made-to-measure pieces were among the first of the label’s luxury offerings to reach the Australian market, and that’s largely thanks to its partnership with Harrolds. After helping the label launch in the country in 2008, the popular department store hosted Tom Ford master tailor Antonio Blazevic at its Sydney and Melbourne locations in 2013. Here, customers could choose their own fabrics to create pieces personally fitted and designed by Blazevic himself. The success of this venture led to Tom Ford opening its very first standalone store in Australia two years later. Today, this means those looking for luxury clothing closely tailored to provide a perfect fit can easily make the label their go-to.
Designer eyewear
Credit: @tomford on Instagram
Though Tom Ford’s offerings include accessories ranging from belts and jewellery to hats and small leather goods, the label is particularly known for its range of luxury eyewear. Tom Ford sunglasses stand out for their embodiment of quiet luxury, with models like the Bruce and Juliette eschewing flashy and gimmicky designs in favour of carefully chosen minimalist frame styles in versatile yet stylish colourways. The glamour and exclusivity of these pieces ensure they remain bestsellers in Australia, especially thanks to Tom Ford’s partnership with Sunglass Hut. The retailer offers a number of the brand’s eyewear collections on its site, where customers can virtually try them on, select their favourites, and pick them up in-store at any of the more than dozen locations Sunglass Hut runs across the country. That ultimately makes these specs readily available for anyone looking for designer eyewear today.
Sophisticated beauty
Credit: @tomfordbeauty on Instagram
Tom Ford also boasts an extensive range of beauty products for men and women, which encompasses everything from makeup and skincare to candles and fragrances. These offerings are a major driving factor that led to Estée Lauder picking up Tom Ford Brands: its beauty products carry the same level of quality seen in the brand’s eyewear while offering the same opportunities for customisation available for Tom Ford’s made-to-measure pieces. In particular, Tom Ford fragrances stand out for their collection of private blend scents crafted to create a sense of modern serenity through luxury. With the label opening its first-ever Australian Beauty concept store in November 2023, discerning consumers looking for more sophisticated scents can easily score both bestselling fragrances like Lost Cherry and Tobacco Vanille to newer releases like the woody Myrrhe Mystère—and can even avail of personalisation services and exclusive promotions to pick out the best products for themselves or their loved ones.
Despite Tom Ford’s relative youth, he and his brand have quickly become a force in the fashion world. As the brand expands, we’re likely to see it grow even further in Australia, the UK, the US, and markets across the globe.