Tom Ford, born Thomas Carlyle Ford on August 27, 1961, in Austin, Texas, is a well-known designer. His parents, Shirley Banton and Tom Ford Sr., both worked in real estate.
Tom Ford is a fashion designer, multi-billion dollar business owner, filmmaker, and screenwriter who launched his brand in 2005 and continues to dominate the fashion industry.
Let’s read some interesting facts about Tom Ford together:
He dropped out of New York University to pursue an acting career
This designer studied art history at New York University in 1979. But after one year, Tom Ford dropped out to pursue his dreams of becoming an actor in California. After arriving in Los Angeles, Ford began modeling and appearing in television commercials.
He entered the Parsons School of Design
Tom Ford went to the Parsons School of Design to continue his education. He first studied architecture but quickly switched to fashion design.
He works with the best
The American designer worked for some of the best luxury fashion companies in the world before starting his own brand.
Early in her career, Ford began working as an intern for Chloé under Cathy Hardwick, alongside other famous designers such as Marc Jacobs. After that, he worked as the creative director of Gucci and YSL until he gained enough fame and capital to launch his own brand.
Tom Ford saved Gucci from bankruptcy
Despite building a luxury legacy over the years, Gucci was struggling financially in the late 1980s until Ford entered the scene in 1991. This designer started working in the women’s clothing department and was quickly appointed as the creative director in 1994. He quickly created a storm in the fashion industry and made a name for himself with his controversial designs that grabbed attention. His company was worth approximately 4.3 billion dollars in 2099. Hence, many have credited Ford with saving Gucci from bankruptcy.
He started his brand with cosmetics
About a year after leaving Gucci, Ford established his own line by partnering with Estée Lauder for a line of cosmetics and fragrances. From there, he began producing eyewear and menswear, and quickly, the entire Tom Ford line of products was in store, becoming the luxury clothing empire it is today.
He does not know his phone number
The designer hates cell phones and talking on the phone all the time—so much so that he can’t remember his own phone number. He keeps his phone for emergency calls and photography and does not save his number.
His home was formerly owned by Betsy Bloomingdale
The Ford House in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, is the mansion where Betsy Bloomingdale lived for over 50 years.
Ford’s unethical advertising
In the 1990s, Tom Ford brought back Gucci’s original look with a sexier style—but not without backlash. Here, Ford was criticized for using nude women in its advertisements. In 2003, he personally shaved the letter “G” (for Gucci) into the pubic hair of a female model while a male model kneeled in front of him.
For his brand in 2014, Ford created a necklace in the shape of men’s genitals, which caused controversy. Another of his risque advertising works shows a completely naked woman holding a bottle of perfume between her breasts and another between her legs. No wonder these ads have been banned in several countries.
He is a filmmaker
In addition to his fashion career, Ford is also a filmmaker and screenwriter. His first film, “A Single Man,” was released in 2009. The romantic drama stars Colin Firth as a gay professor who contemplates suicide after the death of his partner.
After that, Ford directed Nocturnal Animals in 2017. The thriller stars Amy Adams as a gallery owner and Jake Gyllenhaal as her ex-husband. Here, Adams receives a manuscript written by her ex-husband and notices similarities between the novel and her previous marriage. This film received numerous awards, including nine BAFTA Award nominations and Golden Globe Award nominations for best director and best screenplay.
He is a perfectionist
Tom Ford is a perfectionist and a workaholic. In 1999, while simultaneously leading Gucci and YSL, he was tasked with designing 16 collections a year until he resigned from both companies. Today, she continues to balance her films, fashion empire, and beauty line while putting her family first. He intends to manage his time effectively and to make investments that take advantage of his attention to detail.
Tom Ford is family-oriented
Tom Ford and his partner have been together for 35 years. She is married to Richard Buckley. Buckley is a journalist and former editor-in-chief of Vogue Hommes International.
In 2012, the couple had a son through surrogacy. Today, Alexander John “Jack” Buckley Ford is 10 years old and keeping his father’s business afloat.
Ford admitted that he had to adjust his life for Jack, including toning down his OCD and perfectionistic ways. In fact, since the birth of his son, the designer has said, “I decided to grow old.” I haven’t had botox or fillers since Jack came into our lives. “I didn’t have time.”
Designer Stella McCartney is his son’s godmother
Stella McCartney, a rock ‘n’ roll royalty and famous designer in her own right, is one of Ford’s closest friends and her son’s godmother.
When Ford and Buckley asked McCartney to accept the responsibility, they reportedly “got down on one knee” to pop the question.
He has suffered from addiction
Now more than 10 years sober, Ford cut out drugs and alcohol after battling alcoholism and choosing a cleaner, healthier, and more relaxed lifestyle for himself, his partner, and their son.
He is vegan, except for donuts
While Ford has switched to a plant-based diet in recent years, she makes an exception for donuts and other sweet treats. After discovering the dire conditions of most animals raised for meat through a documentary, he felt the need to make this change.
He loves to bathe
Ford bathes three to five times a day! According to Vogue, she takes a shower at 4:30 in the morning. another at 9:15 after exercise; again at 6:00 p.m.; and before bed at 10:30 p.m. “I think of a bath as meditation, and that’s how I usually prepare myself for the day,” says Ford. On stressful days, he takes a bath every hour or two to cool off and says, “I solve a lot of things in the bath.” And of course, Ford offers a wide range of
He uses bath and body products that he produces himself.
