Tom Ford buys the most expensive house in London

They say you can’t buy style. So when a member of the super-rich is a true tastemaker, we’re always curious to see how they spend their fortune.

For newly minted billionaire Tom Ford, the fashion designer put his money where his mouth is by purchasing an apartment in London’s Chelsea for a staggering A$150 million – the UK’s most expensive real estate deal this year.

The 63-year-old reportedly purchased the property “located in a neighborhood famous for its stucco-fronted villas” earlier this year, according to “people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss the transaction.” Fashion business Reports.

With fellow savant Victoria Beckham nearby in chic Holland Park and Harry Styles wearing Tom Ford Beauty’s Tobacco Vanille just a stone’s throw away on Hampstead Heath, the area’s street style capital has grown tenfold. One can only imagine the fashion at their local neighborhood watch meetings.

This investment was Ford’s first major investment since selling its company two years ago. As you may recall, the former Gucci creative director sold his eponymous label to Estée Lauder Cos in a deal valued at over A$4 million. The beauty company has produced, marketed and sold Ford’s self-titled line of cosmetics and fragrances under a licensing agreement since 2006 BoF He also acknowledged that the sale was crucial for the giant as Tom Ford Beauty was one of its “most lucrative businesses.”

As for the fashion department, BoF reported at the time of the sale: “The Ermenegildo Zegna Group has entered into a long-term agreement with Estée Lauder that will see it continue to manufacture and sell the brand’s men’s fashion, including for the first time women’s fashion, accessories and underwear.”

Ford remained the company’s “creative visionary” until the end of 2023. Peter Hawkings, Ford’s protégé and right-hand man who had served since the company’s founding in 2005, was initially named his successor before stepping down in 2024 after less than one year at the helm and one season. Haider Ackermann has taken over in his place.

But for Ford, this “revolving door,” as fashion commentators call the constant rotation of creative directors, is nothing more than chatter now that he has retired from the industry. Maybe he can invite Dries Van Noten to his new apartment and swap stories…