Tom Ford 'expected a more positive reaction' for latest collection

The designer's autumn/winter 2013 show in February saw him return to the traditional catwalk format for the first time since he was creative director of Gucci. Consisting of clashing prints and colours, evening gowns garnished with sequinned, comic book-style blasts and "cross cultural multi ethnic" references, many were surprised by the departure from Ford's usually slick, sexily understated aesthetic.

IN PICTURES: Tom Ford autumn/winter 2013

"I expected a more positive reaction in a stronger way. And what I got was a sort of stunned reaction. I couldn't read [it] when people started to come backstage - what they thought. But that simple fact was proof of not getting the reaction that I thought I was going to get," Ford told WWD , before going on to admit that the reviews were "lukewarm".

So, what did he do wrong? "I think that I chose the venue inappropriately."

Said venue was Lancaster House, a mansion in London's plush St James area. Not content with its extravagant, gilded rooms that Queen Victoria was allegedly "jealous" of, Ford lined the sweeping staircase with 75 devastatingly handsome, perfectly-groomed male models all in matching Ford suits with matching haircuts. He also had dapper waiters serving Champagne, as well as ushers - and liberally spritzed all of them in his Noir fragrance.

READ: Tom Ford on taking five baths a day and having children

"The opulence of the room with the opulence of the clothes, I think it was ultimately just too heavy," said Ford diplomatically. "Had I shown those same clothes in a stark white environment, I think they would have had a very different reaction.

Nevertheless, he says that everything in the collection has been selling, especially as every piece is also available in black, and "every single woman can wear almost every single piece of that collection if it's in black."

Ever the trooper, Ford says that the criticism has only made him more determined to up his catwalk game next season. "I realized actually I'm a showman and I felt a little sad maybe without a show," he says, before revealing that he wants the Tom Ford brand "to be one of the five largest, most developed luxury brands in the world" within the next 10 years. It seems his ambition hasn't been affected by this minor slip up.

Judge Tom Ford's autumn/winter 2013 collectionf or yourself:

Photos: Vladimir Potop

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