Tom Ford On Why Rihanna Is The Perfect Ambassador For His Flamboyant Creations

There's nothing quite like a Tom Ford soundbite and Bridget Foley's latest interview with the designer provides more than enough of those. 'There was a lot going on, which I wanted,' the designer says of his unashamedly extravagant Autumn Winter 2013 collection — and it was the matchy-matchy pieces that were his fave. 'If you have the money, I think it’s sort of cool that your boots match your skirt match your jacket,' he says. 'I mean, who does that anymore?'

In particular, he refers to the ensemble worn by model Herieth Paul (who's his favourite current model, dontcha know). 'She’s wearing pink patchwork boots—it’s patchwork pony, astrakhan, velvet—and a matching skirt and a matching jacket. Head-to-toe pink.'

But who could pull off such a striking look? Rihanna, of course! And conveniently, the designer reveals, Ri-Ri is a Tom Ford customer. 'If you’re that kind of person who can pull off matching hot-pink boots, skirt and jacket, and patchwork multimaterials, I think it’s great,' he says. Over to you, Rihanna...

In fact, it sounds like the singing superstar has become somewhat of a muse for Mr Ford. 'You have to have a point of inspiration. At one point of my life, it would have been Grace Jones. At one point, it would have been Diana Ross—I did a Diana Ross collection at Saint Laurent,' he explains. 'Whenever I’m working on a collection, everything does have to be real, and those outfits are real to me. If I think, “OK, who is wearing this and where is she going?” And I think, “OK, that’s Rihanna, and she’s going to her lawyer’s office in that all-black outfit and she’s hung over and that’s why she’s wearing those glasses. Yet she’s still a rock star.”'

So do you have to be a rock star to pull off such Tom Ford flamboyance? Apparently, no. 'There are women who have enough style and enough nerve to pull off some of those looks, and that’s what I’m in the mood for... Things that make me go, “Wow! What is that? Oh my God, look at that! That is insane! Is that mad? No! Really?!” That’s what I’m in the mood for. I’m tired of seeing all these very sad clothes where you have to be a breathtaking beauty in order to pull them off.'

Pass us the patchwork boots! See Rihanna's fash-tastic looks in the gallery below...

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