Can you aFord him ?

11:30

Dear Tom Ford fans;

Thomas Carlyle Ford born August 27 1961 is both a fashion designer and a film director.

"Both film and fashion are businesses where the audience doesn't see or feel the work that goes on behind the scenes". - Tom Ford

Beyonce

During Tom's early years he grew up in the suburbs of Huston Texas. Later moving to Santa Fe New Mexico. After graduation Tom moved to New York, studying at various schools before discovering his love for fashion while working as an intern at Chloé, his job consisted of sending clothes to fashion shoots, but never-the-less Tom was in love with fashion. He later enrolled in the New School and later graduated with a degree in architecture.

"As a fashion designer, I was always aware that I was not an artist, because, I was creating something that was made to be sold, marketed, used and ultimately discarded" - Tom Ford

After graduation Tom's longing for the fashion world and to finding a job within it was burning from inside, so for a month straight Tom called Kathy Hardwick, after many tries she finally gave in and gave Tom an interview, he landed the job and worked as Kathey's assistant for two years. After leaving Kathy, he joined Perry Ellis, where he worked with people such as Robert McDonald and Marc Jacobs, he resided with the company for two years before he tried going over seas. Tom had grown tiered of American fashion and believed he was ready to try his hand in European fashion, he had no idea what was to come.

"No one would dear of wearing Gucci" - Dawn Mello.

The Gucci label was looking for someone to strengthen their women's ready-to-wear line, it needed an overhaul, and who better than Tom Ford, and intern from New York who had never had his own label.
So, in 1990 Thomas Ford was hired as Gucci's chief designer. During their first few years Gucci's label grew, as well as Tom's duties, not only was he designing the women's line, he was also designing a men's wear, shoes, fragrance, store design, image and advertising, all after six months at the job. Tom was working 16 hour days, then in 1994 Tom was hired as creative director of Gucci. Even though there was tension between Maurizir Gucci and Ford, they were civil when in the face of the public.

"The Gucci woman- you know what she's after. The YSL woman, she's going to torture you a little bit. You might have sex, but shes will drip a little hot wax on you first". - Tom Ford

Jackei O'

Halston-styled velvet hipsters, skinny satin shirts and car-finish metallic boots, was the look Tom gave the Gucci line, and it was well accepted in the public eye. In 1990 the Gucci label was almost bankrupt, between 1995 and 1996 sales went up 90%. By 2004 the label was worth $10billion! Tom put Gucci on everyone's lips.

In 2004 Ford launched his own brand. The Tom Ford label. Gucci's president Domenico De Sole jumped on as the Tom Ford Chairmen. In 2007 Tom Ford was launched in New York, with a men's and accessories collection.

"True artists-- and I do think there are some fashion designer artists- create because they cant do anything but create." - Tom Ford

"People always ask me how do I start a new collection, and I tell them that I just look around." -Tom Ford

Resort 2011

When Gucci took over the Yves Saint Laurent label, Tom was dubbed creative director. During this time Ford won numerous Council of Fashion Designer or America Awards. Like with Gucci, Tom took the YSL label for a ride, taking the label from a "never heard of" to "who's-who" list. Everyone who was anyone was in YSL. His YSL fragrance Opium raised controversial eye brows, but was accepted by the public. in 2004 Ford parted ways with Gucci.