Daily Archives: May 3, 2008

Tom Ford is an absolute genius. There are few people whose mere name when merely mentioned get me completely excited the way his does (maybe no other name actually). The man is an idol, an icon, a fashion Guru, a style God. I absolutely worship him. I have every magazine article of him I ever came across all carefully cut and filed…yes, I mean it when I say I worship him.

American and especially Texan fashion designers are not what one would normally associate with some of the most established Italian and French haute couture houses such as Gucci and YSL. Yet it is Tom Ford that one does associate with this two fashion houses since the past few years. His pained departure from Gucci made many in the fashion industry wonder if Gucci would survive losing the one single genius who had dragged them out of the pits and save them.

The openly gay Texan designer is always impeccably groomed and a very eloquent speaker. Extremely business minded and knowing how to blend personal charisma with a great sense of fashion and a sharp business sense he has conquered a permanent spot amongst the highest of the highest in the world of high fashion.

Wikipedia says:

Tom Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer. He gained international fame for his legendary turnaround of the Gucci fashion house and the creation of the Tom Ford label, becoming one of the world’s most influential designers.

Ford was born in Austin, TX and grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he graduated from Santa Fe Preparatory School in 1979. After studying at NYU and then Parsons School of Design in 1986, initially having studied architecture, he took design jobs with Cathy Hardwick and Perry Ellis.

Personal Life:

Ford and his partner, journalist Richard Buckley, have been together for over 20 years. Buckley was the former Editor in Chief of Vogue Hommes International.

Gucci & YSL departure:

In April 2004, Ford parted company with the Gucci group after he and CEO Domenico de Sole, who is credited as Ford’s partner in the success story that is Gucci, failed to agree with PPR bosses over creative control of the Group. His final show for YSL was a celebrity-studded affair as fans, including fellow designers Diane von Furstenberg, Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney gathered to support and celebrate Ford’s work.

Tom Ford:

Following his departure from Gucci (and YSL), Ford opened the fashion house, Tom Ford. Beginning with accessories, Ford laid the groundwork for his swiftly-growing fashion empire. While all facets of his label have been received incredibly well, his line of eyewear were the first of his collection to really take-off, with virtually every celebrity from Brad Pitt, Lindsay Lohan, and Madonna to Joaquin Phoenix, Jennifer Aniston and Sally Field being huge fans of his eyewear collections.

The Tom Ford line now covers Menswear, Beauty, Tom Ford Eyewear, and both Men and Women’s Accessories.

Ford’s first ‘Tom Ford’ flagship store opened on April 12, 2007 at 845 Madison Avenue in New York City. The store carries his new, high level luxury menswear, including suits, ties, shirts, knitwear, outerwear, accessories, luggage, and small leather goods. The clothing is exclusive to the Madison store. In recent updates, the designers’ website has updated a list of locations where the menswear will be sold. Locations include Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Monaco, Qatar, Spain, and The United Kingdom just to name a few. Most of these locations will only carry the Tom Ford name under license but additional flagship stores are planned to open in large, populated locations such as Japan and Milan, Italy.