I don’t think there are any words to express the admiration I have for designer Tom Ford. Everything he does is perfection in my mind. I really fell in love with the designer the moment I spotted the long white one shoulder gown from his 2004 collection at the Gucci flagship store on Madison Avenue, and I have continued to be amazed by his vision and beautiful work. It was the fashion equivalent to love at first sight.
Tom Ford began his career in fashion as a design assistant for Cathy Hardwick. In 1988 he took a position at Perry Ellis and worked under designer Marc Jacobs. After moving to Europe in 1990 he went to work at Gucci and was promoted to Creative Director in 1994 when Gucci was acquired by Investcorp. While in this position, he arguably became the most influential designer of the decade by putting the glamour back into fashion. In 2004 Ford parted ways with Gucci over issues with creative control. I mourned him leaving Gucci but knew great things were still to come from him. I rejoiced when he opened his own store (also on the Upper East Side of New York) that catered to men’s fashion. I wondered how he could possibly top his glamorous collections for Gucci but upon entering the store, I was stunned by the way he could create the same breathtaking fashion for men. It was the first time men’s fashion seemed more fun than women’s and although gorgeous, the looks were also masculine and refined.
When his film, A Single Man, hit theatres in 2010 I was there and once again in love with this man! He took all the beauty of his fashion and managed to put it to motion in a film. Of making a film he has said, “You don’t just get to design what people wear, but you design the whole world and whether characters get to live or die. There is a permanence to film that fashion lacks.” Most recently he launched his own cosmetic line available at Neimans or Bergdorff’s which includes the most stunning shades including my favorite shade of lip color Wild Ginger, nail polish in Pink Crush and fragrances Santal Blush and Neroli Portofino. To top it all off he recently launched his own women’s collection (on Kate below) and it is everything you could expect from such a fashion icon. Perfection.
