DALLAS, Nov 20, 2004/ FW/ --- Tom Ford is a hard act to follow, with his iconic reputation and bigger-than-life attitude towards fashion. Yet, the Istituto Marangoni-trained Alessandra Facchinetti passed the acid test at Gucci last October, during her debut show for Gucci, the Spring / Summer 2005 collection, the first after Tom Ford left.

Facchinetti, who is a Prada and Miu Miu vet worked for Tom Ford since October 2000 when she came board Gucci. Little did anyone know that she would be replacing her boss, the man who actually handpicked her for the womenswear division.

And those four years of training under the man who reinvented the Gucci label paid off. The clothes were trademark Gucci – sexy, very revealing and body hugging. Facchinetti gave it her mark though – it was softer and romantic, a step away from the edgy Gucci style for the dozen years.

Sticking to the slim silhouette that Tom Ford also made famous, Facchinetti looked East for inspiration, sending skirts and dresses reminiscent of the sari. Adding beading and sequins, there was also a more “decorative” feel in the collection.

Showing lots of cleavage with her deep V and keyhole necklines and emphasizing the hips with those big belts, Facchinetti proved that she understands and knows the woman’s erogenous zones.

And like her boss, she understood that Gucci’s main business is accessories, so Facchinetti made sure that there were lots on the runways from the gold stilettos to big totes and sunglasses.

And though a lot of things had happened since that time, such as Tom Ford releasing her eponymous book, an autobiography of sort that traced his years in Gucci to the interview with Hilary Alexander of the London Telegraph where he was quoted as saying, “I was Gucci, Gucci was me,” the collection shown last October in Milan is both a crowning glory for Facchinetti and her former boss.

Tom Ford had left his mark in the Milanese label, while Alessandra Facchinetti is making sure that her voice is heard, too.

Gucci by Alessandra Facchinetti

Gucci by Alessandra Facchinetti

Gucci by Alessandra Facchinetti

Gucci by Alessandra Facchinetti