Tom Ford: ‘I paid $90,000 for my own dress. The clothes we make are not meant to be thrown away’

From fashion with va-va-voom to veganism - ahead of the release of his new book, America's starriest designer takes a moment to reflect

Tom Ford answers my phone call in precisely the way I'd hoped he would: with a voice as smooth as butter and the grace of Cary Grant.

We are in touch to discuss his latest project, a coffee-table book charting the past 15 years of his career - or post-Gucci", as those familiar with luxury fashion prefer to describe the era that has followed Ford's departure from the Italian super brand.