Backgroud:
Thomas Carlyle "Tom" Ford was born in Austin, Texas on August 27, 1961 to realtors Tom Ford and Shirley Burton. He attended New York University only to drop out a year later, preferring to concentrate on acting in television commercials; at one time, he was in 12 national advertising campaigns simultaneously. Ford then began studying interior architecture at The New School's famous art and design college, Parsons The New School for Design. Before his last year at New School, Ford spent a year and a half in Paris, where he worked as an intern in Chloé's press office. Though his work primarily involved sending clothes out on photo shoots, it triggered his love of fashion. He spent his final year at The New School studying fashion, but nonetheless graduated with a degree in architecture. After college, Ford worked as an assistant to designers in New York but soon got tired of American fashion. In a interview with the new York Times Ford said, "Too much style in America is tacky. It's looked down upon to be too stylish. Europeans, however, appreciate style." When he moved to Europe he soon started working with the company, Gucci. And the rest is history.
The Company:
Ford's role at Gucci rapidly expanded; he was designing menswear within six months, and shoes soon after that. When Richard Lambertson left as design director in 1992, Ford took over his position, heading the brand's ready-to-wear, fragrances, image, advertising, and store design. In 1993, when he was in charge of designing eleven product lines, Ford worked eighteen-hour days. During these years, there were creative tensions between Ford and Maurizio Gucci, the company's chairman and 50% owner. According to Mello, "Maurizio always wanted everything to be round and brown, and Tom wanted to make it square and black." Though Maurizio Gucci wanted to fire Ford, Domenico de Sole insisted that he remain. Nonetheless, Ford's work during the early 1990s was primarily behind the scenes; his contributions to Gucci were overshadowed by those of Mello, who was the company's public face. In 2004 Tom Ford left Gucci and launched a men's clothing line. In March 2011, Ford was featured on the cover of the bi-annual publication Another Man, the fraternal counterpart to Another Magazine, giving his opinion on what makes the modern day gentleman
Philosophy:
Tom Ford strongly believes that "Fashion is able to make wonders: to transform one woman completely and to give her angelic radiation, to show her unsuspected virtues and characteristics due to its manipulative essence. Hidden or not, wanted or not, this manipulation defines the power of fashion design"
Thomas Carlyle "Tom" Ford was born in Austin, Texas on August 27, 1961 to realtors Tom Ford and Shirley Burton. He attended New York University only to drop out a year later, preferring to concentrate on acting in television commercials; at one time, he was in 12 national advertising campaigns simultaneously. Ford then began studying interior architecture at The New School's famous art and design college, Parsons The New School for Design. Before his last year at New School, Ford spent a year and a half in Paris, where he worked as an intern in Chloé's press office. Though his work primarily involved sending clothes out on photo shoots, it triggered his love of fashion. He spent his final year at The New School studying fashion, but nonetheless graduated with a degree in architecture. After college, Ford worked as an assistant to designers in New York but soon got tired of American fashion. In a interview with the new York Times Ford said, "Too much style in America is tacky. It's looked down upon to be too stylish. Europeans, however, appreciate style." When he moved to Europe he soon started working with the company, Gucci. And the rest is history.
The Company:
Ford's role at Gucci rapidly expanded; he was designing menswear within six months, and shoes soon after that. When Richard Lambertson left as design director in 1992, Ford took over his position, heading the brand's ready-to-wear, fragrances, image, advertising, and store design. In 1993, when he was in charge of designing eleven product lines, Ford worked eighteen-hour days. During these years, there were creative tensions between Ford and Maurizio Gucci, the company's chairman and 50% owner. According to Mello, "Maurizio always wanted everything to be round and brown, and Tom wanted to make it square and black." Though Maurizio Gucci wanted to fire Ford, Domenico de Sole insisted that he remain. Nonetheless, Ford's work during the early 1990s was primarily behind the scenes; his contributions to Gucci were overshadowed by those of Mello, who was the company's public face. In 2004 Tom Ford left Gucci and launched a men's clothing line. In March 2011, Ford was featured on the cover of the bi-annual publication Another Man, the fraternal counterpart to Another Magazine, giving his opinion on what makes the modern day gentleman
Philosophy:
Tom Ford strongly believes that "Fashion is able to make wonders: to transform one woman completely and to give her angelic radiation, to show her unsuspected virtues and characteristics due to its manipulative essence. Hidden or not, wanted or not, this manipulation defines the power of fashion design"
Sources Cited:
http://www.fashion-lifestyle.bg/designers_en_broi4
http://nymag.com/nymetro/shopping/fashion/features/n_8936/
http://www.fashion-lifestyle.bg/designers_en_broi4
http://nymag.com/nymetro/shopping/fashion/features/n_8936/