Today's Times has a lengthy profile of Justin Timberlake's fancy sartorial "reinvention," spearheaded by Tom Ford and timed to coincide with his new single, "Suit and Tie." (Should you be curious, Ford prefers Timberlake's naturally curly hair "straighter" and refers to the singer/actor's physique as "the body.") Joining Ford in admiring Timberlake's ascension from baggy denim to three-piece suits are celebrity style experts like Elle's Joe Zee and Vanity Fair's Amy Fine Collins, both of whom are obviously in favor of Timberlake's new, Cary Grant–inspired look. But there's one interesting omission: William Rast, the denim-based clothing line that Timberlake co-founded in 2005 with his best friend, Trace Ayala, isn't mentioned anywhere in the 1,325-word article. This compounds rumors that Timberlake has forsaken the label, which used to show at New York Fashion Week but now languishes at J.C. Penney.
When the Post reported yesterday that Timberlake was on the outs with the clothing brand, and the singer's rep didn't exactly deny it, instead vaguely stating that he is "eternally" connected to it because it's named after his grandfather. And now that Timberlake's fashion overhaul is official, it's probably safe to conclude that he doesn't have much — if any — involvement with the label anymore, which means Ford will be making his styling decisions for the foreseeable future. A pity, really:
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