Tom Ford, (born August 27, 1961, Austin, Texas, U.S.), American fashion designer and film director who was credited with reviving the fashion house Gucci during his tenure as creative director (1994–2004).
Tom Ford's collections for Gucci are the stuff of fashion legend. As creative director of the house from 1994 until 2004, he championed all-out sexiness, putting risqué silhouettes and suggestive fabrics centre stage.
Ford, whose husband, Richard Buckley, died earlier this year, first went to Gucci in 1990 when he moved to Milan and was promoted to creative director in 1994. He left the label in 2004 and since then has launched his own Tom Ford line and is currently chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
During the early days of his career, Ford stayed away from the brand's famed leather goods and scarves and introduced his own vision for the maison. The Parsons School of Design graduate first worked in Perry Ellis before relocating to Europe to work for Gucci in 1990.
Tom Ford was a fast-rising designer in Milan in 1995, the year Maurizio Gucci was shot and killed in a hit job ordered by his estranged wife Patrizia. In Ridley Scott's “House of Gucci,” he's played by Reeve Carney in a few scenes of the film, which of course meant Ford himself would inevitably watch.
On His Portrayal
Ford began working at Gucci in 1990 and served as the creative director of the house from 1994 to 2004.
2004, The Gucci Group announced the three designers to lead the creative team for Gucci after Tom Ford's departure. Alessandra Facchinetti, design director for four years, took full responsibility of Gucci's womenswear division, John Ray took over menswear and Frida Giannini became creative director of accessories.
Ford left Gucci the following year to start his own brand, explaining to Women's Wear Daily at the time that the decision “was about control”. Peter Hawkings joined Gucci when Ford was at the helm in 1998, going on to join his colleague at the Tom Ford brand in 2006.
The Tom Ford era
After many heated negotiations in the noughties, Ford and CEO Domenico De Sole left Gucci in 2004 to start their own label. Rumours swirled regarding money issues, but in a later interview with Women's Wear Daily, Ford clarified that “it was about control”.
Ford's longtime men's wear designer, is getting the job. But the final collection reveal also offered a marked contrast to Mr. Ford's last grand goodbye, when he left Gucci in 2004.
At the close of the deal, after taxes, Tom Ford's net worth increased from $500 million to $2 billion, making him a billionaire. This was the largest acquisition in Estée Lauder's history.
Most curious might be the life of Maurizio's daughter, Alessandra Gucci, who inherited her father's US$400 million estate along with her sister Allegra.
She is alive and works at Bozart
She lives in Milan. However, the celebrity confirmed that she no longer wanted to work at Gucci. However, in 2016, she said that her work at Bozart was advising the design team and reading the fashion magazine to keep up with trends and test drive the creations.
Ford became creative director at Gucci in 1994. Back then, the brand was nearly bankrupt and deeply unfashionable. He brought a sexiness and glamour to the brand, bringing on photographer Mario Testino and stylist Carine Roitfeld to shoot campaigns.
From 1991 to 1993, Gucci's finances were in the red. Maurizio Gucci was blamed for spending extravagantly on the company's headquarters in Florence and Milan. He went on to sell his remaining company stock in 1993 for $170 million to Investcorp, ending the Gucci family's association with the company.
“It was hard for me to see the humor and camp in something that was so bloody. In real life, none of it was camp. It was at times absurd, but ultimately it was tragic.” Still, Ford admitted that he still believes the movie will be a hit, as Gucci products usually are.
"I was deeply sad for several days after watching House of Gucci, a reaction that I think only those of us who knew the players and the play will feel," Ford writes. "It was hard for me to see the humor and camp in something that was so bloody.
In 2023, The Estée Lauder Companies became the sole owner of the TOM FORD brand and all its intellectual property. Founded in 1910 in Trivero, Italy , the Ermenegildo Zegna Group (NYSE: ZGN) is a leading global luxury group.
Through his bold designs, provocative marketing campaigns, and reimagining of classic motifs, Ford not only saved Gucci from the brink of bankruptcy but also reshaped the luxury fashion industry.
As of 2020, Tom Ford was the major shareholder of Tom Ford International, holding 63.75% of the shares. Since its inception, the label has been criticized for using naked women in various advertising campaigns.
Gucci, one of the most storied names in global fashion, has a new designer at its helm: Sabato De Sarno.
Gucci is owned by the French holding company Kering, which purchased an $8.8 billion stake in the iconic Italian fashion brand in 2004. Artémis, the investment firm of the Pinault family led by François Pinault, is Kering's leading shareholder and holds a majority share in the company through its parent organization.
House of Gucci has a new and handsome face, and it is none other than Ryan Gosling. 'The Gray Man' himself is now Italian luxury fashion brand Gucci's new ambassador, and he looks stunning while promoting the Gucci Valigeria travel campaign while wearing outfits from Gucci's Spring 2022 collection.