Tom Ford Succeeds Diane Von Furstenberg As CFDA Chairman

The rumours that Tom Ford was in line to succeed Diane von Furstenberg as the chairman of the CFDA have proved true. Ford will be the 11th person to take up the position, which was called president until it was changed to chairman for von Furstenberg in 2015, in June 2019.

Ford will lead a board of some 19 people, including Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Ashley Olsen and von Furstenberg, who will remain invested in the future of American fashion despite stepping down from the helm after 13 years. Previous issues, including model welfare and diversity, will remain top of Ford’s agenda along with the pressing fact that New York Fashion Week needs restructuring and reinvigorating.

“Tom Ford’s vast experience and knowledge will be of great value to the CFDA and the membership in support of our mission to bring greater visibility and opportunity to American designers globally,” read a letter to CFDA members from Lisa Smilor, executive vice president of the CFDA.

As messages of congratulations populated Ford’s Twitter feed, it was a piece of fake news that the media picked up, however. A quote regarding Melania Trump – “I have no interest in dressing a glorified escort who steals speeches and has bad taste in men” – was traced back to Ford and the Twittersphere did not seem to care that it was unsubstantiated.

In reference to a fictitious statement attributed to Mr. Ford regarding First Lady Melania Trump: “This is an absolutely fabricated and completely fake quote that somehow went viral. Mr. Ford did not make this statement; it is completely false." - Tom Ford Spokeswoman

A spokesperson for Ford cut through the social gossip: “This is an absolutely fabricated and completely fake quote that somehow went viral,” the tweet read. “Mr Ford did not make this statement; it is completely false."

The statement was unsearchable, but before Donald Trump was elected as president, Ford had declared that he would not dress her nor Hillary Clinton. “The first lady and the president in the White House need to be wearing clothes made in America – mine are not – and clothes at a price point that most Americans can relate to and my clothes are too expensive,” the designer told WWD of his former comments made on The View, before admitting to once dressing Michelle Obama: “That was different.”

“I’ve never said anything derogatory about Melania,” Ford iterated. “I never would say anything derogatory. It’s so weird, isn’t it, in today’s world the way someone out of nowhere can just make up a random quote and start circulating it on the internet?”

The fake news phenomenon might be out of his influence as the newly crowned CFDA chairman, but how he will delve into pressing industry issues, such as sustainability, will prove interesting.