Gucci: Remember The Time

Tom Ford's last collection at Gucci was a trip down memory lane. After a decade of reigning as one of the most successful designers in fashion; almost single-handedly turning a flailing Florentine fashion house into one of the most covetable brands of the nineties and noughties, Ford brought back the looks that have bared his trademark sexiness for the past decade. Whoever is to take over the helm at Gucci will have a difficult journey ahead. The debate over designer versus brand, the who makes who, will be evident in the next few seasons when the new creative director sends an all-new Gucci collection down the spring/summer catwalks.

Ford's talent should not be underestimated as merely designing collections for an upmarket Italian fashion house. His propensity for image-making, manifesting itself into everything from cleverly re-inventing the logo to Gucci's edgy advertising, made the brand a household name on a global scale. Most of all, it made the house money, turning the Gucci Group into one of the most profitable luxury groups since LVMH.

Even now, the images we recall as Gucci have left a permanent imprint on our fashion minds. From the white jersey cut-out dress with silver G buckle to the navy velvet bootleg trousers and logo'd accessories, they are all unmistakably Tom Ford for Gucci. His tailored sexiness made women the world over aspire to be part of this image, which, from buying the shoes, the bags, the ready to wear, the sunglasses and the perfume, created nothing short of a Gucci mania.

With nostalgia in the air at the show and after-party (those of us lucky enough to have been invited where showered with rose petals at the stroke of midnight), boutiques the world over are expecting a surge in sales for autumn/winter, the last collection under Tom's reign. Everything you own already will be considered vintage Gucci, and you will not soon forget the images of good times and good looks.