Tom Ford done with see-now-buy-now?

New York - As one of the first major luxury designers to champion the see-now-buy-now movement for Fashion Week, Tom Ford made a surprise announcement that he will be showing his spring 2018 collection this fall going back to the traditional season ahead model. The news of this comes right after the designer presented his see-now-buy-now show this morning at Spring Studios in New York City.

For spring 2018, Ford will be seeking a permanent spot in the New York Fashion Week calendar, leaving behind London where he previously used to show his women's collections. He showed during New York Fashion Week last year in his first experiment with see-now-buy-now. In addition to leaving the London fashion calendar, the designer will also be moving with his family, which includes his husband Richard Buckley and son Jack, to Los Angeles. He will still be retaining a residence in London.

The Tom Ford women's design studios will be moved to Regen Projects gallery, the site of Hedi Slimane's former studio, and most of the women's design staff will be relocated there. The men's design studio will stay in London.

His reason for switching back to the season ahead model is simply a matter of scheduling.

“The store shipping schedule doesn’t align with the fashion show schedule,” he was quoted saying to WWD. Most of fall ships in August, which meant showing in season meant having a show where most of the clothes were already on the sales floor. While his clothes shipped by July, Ford kept them off the floor until the day after the show which cost him a month of selling, and left merchandise sitting it stock rooms.

While sales boomed for the the weeks proceeding Fashion Week, it wasn't enough to make up for the lost sales from having to keep the collection under embargo for a month.

Until further adieu, New York will be the home for the unveiling of Ford's new collections.

Photo: via Tom Ford Facebook