Birthday blooms: Tom Ford celebrates 10 years of Black Orchid with an exclusive launch

He might have made his name in fashion but for those with a penchant for a department store beauty hall, Tom Ford has become the go-to name for the most coveted of all products. A decade since launching his eponymous scent and cosmetics brand, Ford is celebrating with a special range – an ode to his first fragrance, Black Orchid.

To the man behind the brand the orchid is, he says, “the perfect flower… luxurious, elegant and sophisticated” – adjectives that are very apt for the designer who is widely credited for turning around the fortunes of two of the world’s most famous design houses. Although available in almost every colour, the existence of an orchid in black is a matter of debate; it’s this elusive flower that Ford tracked down to a grower in California before having the bloom renamed in his honour.

A decade on and the fragrance is a much-loved classic, worn by men and women alike and forming the basis of a brand that now has 14 fragrances alongside extensive cosmetics and skincare lines under its belt.

For a man who epitomises luxury, just releasing an orchid-themed collection would not do, which is why there’s also the Lalique edition; a limited edition pure black crystal perfume bottle created by the French glassmakers exclusively for the brand. Unsurprisingly the bottle, which includes the highest concentration of the scent, has a price tag to match the limited run of just 1,200 available worldwide – don’t expect to find it in your local beauty hall.

For us mere mortals there’s a treasure trove of Orchid themed extras, created with all the hallmarks of Black Orchid’s iconic Art Deco design in mind. Sleek black lines, highlighted with gold, encase solid perfumes, illuminating face powders and lipsticks. Like the rest of his brand, the products are almost too pretty to use and not by coincidence. “I’m seduced by style, luxury, timelessness and glamour, qualities that are hard to find in our disposable society,” says Ford.

He says the Black Orchid wearer should feel “desired, sophisticated and sensual”, and if anyone can provoke such emotions through the act of putting on a fragrance, you can bet it’s Tom Ford.