Ravens, Tom Ford Eyewear And Brand Myth

Posted by Clara in Couture, Photography | 0 comments

Tom Ford.com

As Tim Girvin, brander extraordinaire, says it best, “Ravens as the dark storyteller, the mythic black rainbow.”

Is the etymology of corvid derived from the ancient Proto-Indo European seed sound kos, for shout? That would seem appropriate — ravens for shouting. Marketing as the shout, raven-style. But it’s the sound of the kraaak and croak that reaches to the heart of the word and the story – and running the linguistic gauntlet for several thousand years, the sounds of the black one, the ravening clan, that first bespeak the legend.

To Tom Ford, and the raven as a stylistic emblem, the commentaries are interesting — to Tom’s shooting of “eyewear/ware” that is interplayed with corvids. Noting sensuality, Anne “of Caverville’s” reflections offer “Tom Ford’s use of ravens in his Fall 2010 ad campaign for Tom Ford Eyewear with Freja Beha Erichsen and Nicholas Hoult can be interpreted as his belief in a female-centric, new consciousness. Ford is the ace of sensual branding — or hot, sexy, sizzling marketing – whichever you prefer. The sexy marketing maestro has always pushed the envelope, roaming through the closed doors of repressed sexuality and leaving them slightly ajar upon leaving.”

Tom Ford.com

According to Anne’s review, “If ravens seem a bit dark and disturbing, consider them not only symbols of death, degeneration and bad luck. Tom Ford grew up in Austin, Texas — not Santa Fe, of course — but near America’s Indian Country, where ravens are the hallmark of shape-shifting. Ravens can see all things that are hidden. In addition, ravens brought light into the darkness of the world and transformed part of Maka, Mother Earth. A raven named plants and taught animals. After the success of his debut film A Single Man, a more thoughtful Tom Ford may be evolving into a mythical storyteller.”

The campaign features Freja Beha Erichsen and Nicholas Hoult plus a bunch of ravens. (the story continues right after the jump with more images!) There’s something undoubtedly, unquestionably strange about the imagery and people’s reactions. Kissing ravens? Devilishly smiling while being surrounded by ravens? Breastfeeding a raven? Now that’s something only Ford will be able to get away with. As much as they hate admitting to it, the fashpeople love to feel shocked and appalled. Disgusted, even. It’s in their uberfashionable nature. We, the mere mortals we’ll only see Hitchock all over again and think – oh, look, there’s Freja looking like Harry Potter! – say you didn’t thought about that!”

Tom Ford.com

Others reference: Stylefrizz “If anything, everyone can attest to the clear as daylight fact that Tom Ford likes to provoke. It’s his nature – freeze the world even for a second and obtain a reaction from the humble mortals in front of his divine work. (I’m still talking about Tom Ford, yes!)

OpticalVision is more to the point, literally: “Tom Ford’s Fall Winter Eyewear Campaign features ravens- like in Tippi Hedron, Alfred Hitchcock Birds. It is way too distracting, all I can think of is Tippi Hedron running, getting even more morbid – Try Nevermore (The Raven) Getting back to the Eyewear- I can’t get beyond the Ravens, raven kissing, raven biting. So you can make your own opinions.”

Tom Ford

Interestingly, the idea of linking ravens to fashion isn’t so new. There’s a store/window designer at Bergdorf Goodman who’s got an especial love of ravens as a merchandising icon for window dressing — they keep popping up. Still, the corvid birds as wise ones is a long-running legacy. That idea ranges from styling to actual fashion, some notations, here – shot on the fly. Ravens, crows, the class:

Harry Winston

Ione Rucquoi

Lou Reed's The Raven

David Hoey for Bergdorf Goodman

James Vance for Dior (Read our review here

Metropolitan Museum of Art,

New York Times

Ravens — and the corvid class — are, in the mythic mind, a grouping of creatures that, spread all over the world, cast a sight into the legendary mind of man and their link to the archetypal experience of the dark mystery and beauty of natural experience. Gathering the raven clan to the notion of brand, or telling experience, is entirely personal — what does this bird say to you? To each, their own, in the cast of Raven shadow and call to themselves. For me, their call always means one thing — “pay attention.”