t's hard to find a gay man who so many straight women lust after, even if he does wear his shirts excessively unbuttoned. Tom Ford, formerly the chief designer at Gucci, where he transformed the brand and lifted its sales out of the gutter, is simply a designing idol. Unlike the Gallianos and Lagerfelds of the world (I'm probably going to get fan slapped for saying this), Ford is someone whose style is classic and elegant, without being silly or over the top. With his simple uniform of a good dark suit and that unbuttoned shirt, Ford is clearly in it for the good design. But when you've had the kind of success that he has, good design don't come cheap. So it's not so shocking that his second store is both utterly fantastic but houses some wares only Italian royalty could afford. Yet, even facing a recession, Ford's original New York store on Madison Avenue managed to beat sales budgets by 100% in its first year.

The Milan store is much larger than the American one. Sprawled over 11,600 square feet and five floors, black marble walls, dark brown velvet, wardrobes of Macassar ebony, and mahogany details (he's very important, after all) cover this luxe store. That's not to mention the private bar to loosen you up before you drop $10,000 on a pair of boots. But don't call it a store; Ford wants this to be more of a house environment where people feel comfortable hanging out, and more private. And we will take all the privacy he wants to give us! Expect entire lines of apparel for all occasions. Embroidered slippers, tennis attire, riding boots, 24 carat gold sunglasses, and suits which will cost you about $3,800 will all be signed by Ford, so you feel like you are getting your money's worth. The store was designed with architect William Sofield and includes a work commissioned exclusively for the store by Anselm Reyle in the entranceway.