A PRESTIGE HONG KONG EXCLUSIVE
THE MAN IN FULL - TOM FORD
by Jessica Michault and Stephen Short

Was Richard the inspiration for the Tom Ford for Men fragrance?
No not at all. In fact, Richard and I have a funny relationship in that we never discuss business. I often design things that I think are right for Richard because he’s a kind of guy that I find very attractive – obviously – but his colouring is different from mine, he looks better in steely blues and greys because of his white hair and blue eyes.

But we never discuss business and, in fact, he doesn’t love fragrance – period. He’s not a fragrance consumer, but I have to say he probably likes that fragrance more than others I’ve done because it’s less heavy. I tend to like heavy fragrances, and our goal with that was to create a fragrance with a broader appeal. I tend to wear more Private Blend – Tobacco Vanille is my favourite. I have something on today that I’m working on that’s lavender-based, but it’s still quite heavy. I like heavy fragrances.

As you’ve aged, does the need to be “in the know” lessen?
Oh, absolutely. You start to trust your own instinct more. And that’s kind of important too. To rise above the chatter of the world, and I don’t mean that in any egotistical way. When you’re young, you’re very impressionable, like a sponge, and you just take things in. As you get older, you become confident enough in your own tastes . . . By the way, can I say, at TF we are fashionable but we’re not about the latest fashions.

What’s the first thing you notice when you meet a man?
Confidence, confidence, confidence! And you can fake it. I mean, it’s best if it’s real. Actually, I’m a very shy person, and you might say that’s bullshit, but I am and I guess I developed that ability to project from an early age. It’s armour. A lot of performers have it, and I’m not saying that I’m a fake at all. In fact, sometimes I’m too honest when I talk to people – often when I talk to journalists. But you project that – the confidence – and the way you carry yourself and the way you walk. That’s the first thing I always notice, the thing that makes people jump out: somebody who walks right up to you and says, “Hi, how are you?” and looks you right in the eyes.

And wearing a Tom Ford suit could help with that?
Absolutely! For a man or a woman, that was always my goal with clothes. To hide the things you don’t like and enhance the things you do like. To make you feel good about yourself so that you can stop feeling self-conscious and start concentrating on the person you’re with. And that, I think, makes people very attractive.■