Second Tom Ford Store Slated for Milan

Tom Ford has announced that his second store will open in Milan next Summer.

Milan Man: Tom Ford

The five-story shop will be on Via Verri, in the heart of the Milan shopping district. With the dollar ever shrinking, it makes sense for him to get a base outside of New York as soon as he possibly can. Which may be why he and former Gucci Group chairman Domenico De Sole are backing this one themselves. Other international shops will open with partners in coming months. But why Milan as the point of first expansion, as that is where he has to go head-head-with some of the strongest men's wear lines in the world? Well, most of the Tom Ford products are made in Italy, so it will be much easier for him to control and predict prices. Domenico is a native Italian and has strong connections there, (as does Tom who spent many a year there while he was designing for Gucci). And let us not forget that while the majority of Tom Ford customers may not be Italian, many, many of his fans are the men in the fashion trade and they spend hours upon hours shopping in Milan. If nothing else a five-story store in a fashion capital is a great place to show off his full collection of goods.

Details of the store haven't yet appeared, I'm told that Tom is working on them now and construction begins in January. I will be keen to see if Tom changes any of the things that bugged shoppers in the first store. Like having the ready-to-wear clothes hanging behind glass doors.

(Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)