I have barely handled Tom Ford’s suits/jackets, so this is anecdotal for the most part. From what I’ve heard, they are made by Zegna to their couture standards which means they are expertly constructed and have great fabric and details. However, they are also supremely expensive and in my opinion, not worth the money, unless you are loaded and married to his particular style. For $8000, you could get 2 bespoke suits to your exact measurements and aesthetic choices, which seems like a much better value proposition to me.

To answer your question then, I would put Tom Ford halfway into the category you described. His garments are certainly marked up to cater to his branding and marketing strategy, which is fine and his right. However, they are still very high quality and I don’t think he is too worried about his own relevance, as he’s pretty established at this point.