Tom Ford Says The Oscars Red Carpet Is A ‘Bubble For 1950s Barbies’ On Jimmy Kimmel

Tom Ford at the Oscars [Getty]

The Oscars can be a defining moment in a designer's career - remember Valentino counts Julia Roberts wearing one of his gowns to pick up her Academy Award as a career highlight. But Tom Ford is less enamoured with the Oscars circus as he said on Jimmy Kimmel: 'What's worn on the red carpet has nothing to do with what's going on in contemporary fashion. It's a bubble of 1950s Barbie clothes. It's quite different to what real people are really wearing.'

Tom Ford explains that dressing an actress for the red carpet isn't creative, as a designer has little freedom. He explains: 'I usually only dress one woman. What I have been known to say is I don't necessarily love the process. It's not a creative process usually dressing actors for the Oscars. Because when you are designing you are able to figure out what you believe in and think the world needs right now... you are a voice in contemporary culture with design. But when you are dressing an actress or even sometimes someone when they are getting married, you are working with someone fulfilling their dream, their agent's dream, their husband's dream. They have a pre-conceived notion of what they want to wear, what they want to look like, how they are marketing this film.'

While on the Kimmel's sofa, Tom Ford also spoke about Jay Z's song Tom Ford and he said that Jay sent him an email before the song was released. Tom joked: 'I didn't know what to expect but I trust him, he's a great guy. I had to go on rap translator and translate it to understand what it meant.' Mr Ford was a fan of the song when he worked out what he meant as he said: 'But the message is quite positive, he doesn't do drugs he wears Tom Ford. That's how he gets his high. Who doesn't like that?' Hear more from Tom Ford by watching him on Jimmy Kimmel below...

Do you think actresses look like 50s Barbies at the Oscars? See the best ever dresses below...