Cancel culture has made me rethink everything I design, says Tom Ford

TOM FORD thinks “cancel culture” has made it harder to be creative as designers are always worried about offending people with their work, but says a “shift needed to happen”.

- Lizzie Edmonds and Tim Blanks

In an interview with ES Magazine, the American fashion designer and filmmaker, 60, said a “zero-tolerance policy” is “great in many ways” but poses challenges for creatives.

“You really have to think and rethink everything you do. ‘Oh my God, will it offend anyone, is this going to be misinterpreted?’” he said.

“As a designer, of course we always appropriated things from a lot of different cultures, but it was seen as a form of celebration and honouring that particular culture... now you have to think twice because it can be called out as appropriation.”

Ford, whose creations are worn by stars including Kate Beckinsale and Jennifer Lopez, suggested many iconic collections from the past would not make it on to the catwalk today.