Tom Ford’s era at Gucci is defined by many things—streamlined minimalism, hedonistic sex appeal and, yes, that infamous thong. Last night, Hailey Bieber reimagined the cult lingerie piece as she stepped out in Los Angeles in a custom vintage-inspired look anchored by its exposed whale tail.
At the GQ Men of the Year Awards, Bieber slipped into a slinky halter dress that channeled Ford’s much-loved 1990s era at Gucci. Done in a sparkling lurex fabric, it clung to the model’s figure and finished right below her black shoes. The back plunged right down to Bieber’s waist and was detailed with a faux thong—sparkling with teensy black straps and an interlocking “GG,” of course.
Bieber finished off her look in minimal ’90s style. She accessorized with Tiffany & Co. jewels and wore her hair in an updo with face-framing pieces on either side.
Ford’s first established the now-infamous thong during his spring 1997 show for Gucci, showing the risqué design on both men and women. After some pearl-clutching from the fashion establishment, the whale tail look soon became not only a staple of Ford’s Gucci runway, but a red carpet favorite for celebrities in the late ’90s and early 2000s. It’s become a perennial reference for Gucci designers since, from Alessandro Michele to Demna.
As with most of Ford’s work from Gucci, the thong has a cult-like following among today’s fashion set. It’s been worn by everyone from Solange Knowles to Emily Ratajkowski and, of course, Kim Kardashian. The underwear is so famous, that it’s included in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s permanent collection.
For Bieber, the design is perfectly in line with her red carpet style. She’s been a proponent of the whale tail many times before, most famously at the 2019 Met Gala when she wore a thong-focused look by Alexander Wang. And naturally, the model’s devotion to ’90s designer fashion runs deep—especially when it comes to the iconic Ford years at Gucci.
