Supermodel Gigi Hadid was a big hit on the runway for Tom Ford in New York, wearing a blood-red suit. Perhaps taking cues from Apple’s new blood-drop emoji (aka the “period” emoji) Hadid was the big drawcard of Ford’s runway show, which opened New York Fashion Week. Hadid wore four shades of red … a turtleneck top, power blazer, trousers and strappy platform heels. Ford’s show is one of the most high-profile of New York’s current season, with the industry abuzz over suggestions designers are shunning the Big Apple to stage shows in Milan, London and Paris instead. Tom Ford is one of a dwindling number of designers showcasing their new collections in the Big Apple, with many opting for Europe or the UK over the US. But Ford, 57, is still front and centre of New York fashion week. The veteran designer-turned-Hollywood-director went back to the archives of his autumn/winter 1996 collection for Gucci. On the runway, there were backless gowns, trench-style coats and platform peep-toed heels, worn with stockings. The red pants suit seen on Hadid was also likened to one of Ford’s previous Gucci designs – a velvet tuxe – in what Vogue called a “tame” collection that edged towards “simplicity”. Hadid wore four shades of red; a turtleneck top, power blazer, trousers and strappy platform heels “I’ve never really been a designer who’s talked about a moment in time, how that’s influenced what I design, but you can’t escape the news,” Ford told US Vogue, of his show. “I feel frustrated and agitated and exhausted. And I don’t want to wear anything particularly challenging or anything particularly aggressive.” Silk and velvet textures were a trend for Ford, as well as leather and fur – possibly faux, as Ford had promised to scale back any use of animal fibres. There were hats too, as seen on Victoria’s Secret model Joan Smalls, that recalled the New York gangsters of the 1970s, critics suggested. Ralph Lauren will show his new collection on the runway next week, as will Australian designers Zimmermann, camilla and marc and Dion Lee. Published in Daily Times, February 9th 2019.