His designs are the epitome of sophistication and style.
For 25 years, Tom Ford has been injecting glamour into the world of international fashion, winning him respect within the industry along with a host of A-list devotees.
Born in Texas, he doubled in acting before setting his sights on design.
But it was in the 1990s this self-proclaimed perfectionist made a name for himself
by turning the then-struggling fashion house Gucci into a highly profitable business.
An accomplishment that would later see him launch his own namesake brand and deliver sought after designs from head to toe and everything in between.
But it's not all about fashion for the 49-year-old.
He made his directorial debut with the 2009 film, A Single Man, which lead to an Oscar nomination for lead actor Collin Firth.
First, let's discuss Tom Ford as a label in its own right. Apparently you were once absolutely terrified about seeing your own name on a label.
I'm assuming, though, that with, what, 21 stores around the world now, you're over that.
I am over that. You know, the reason I said that was
that I put so much of myself into both Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent when I was designing those brands that I felt totally fulfilled creatively.
So, it never occurred to me that the time would come when I would want my own label, need my own label.
You know, your name is a funny thing. It stands for what you're about, and everything I do is really about pride.
I don't work for money any longer. I'm fortunate enough not to need to work for money, but I work for pride. I work because I love to work.
And so, the idea that one could lose control of one's own name and that things could be produced with your name on it
that you were not proud of scared me. So, I've changed my mind.
When you were in New York, you studied at Parsons the New School for Design.
Yeah, first I went to NYU and I studied Art History.
And you dropped out.
And I dropped out. I worked as an actor in television commercials, which I did not like, but I was successful at it.
And I lived back and forth between New York and Los Angeles. I hated it. I was too self-conscious at that moment in time. And so, I went back to school.
And I had always been fascinated with architecture because I like building things, which I finally learned.
That's what I like, building a movie, building stores, building a company, building a shoe, designing, you know, I love that.
So, I went back to school and studied at Parsons and studied undergraduate architecture.
After a while, though, you moved to Paris.
I was living in Paris before. I went to New York, and then, when I left New York, I moved to Milan.
Because I lived in New York, I worked for Cathy Hardwick, I worked for Perry Ellis.
I left Perry Ellis to go to Gucci in 1990 and I was 28 years old.
So, I moved to Europe. I thought, I'll work for Gucci for two years, I'll learn all the best factories for everything, and then I'll start my own company.
Working for Gucci turned out to be very interesting, because I kept moving to a different level and things started happening in the company
and all of a sudden, I had an opportunity at Gucci to do things that I never thought I would.
And I ended up staying for 14 years.
Eventually, Gucci became Gucci-YSL. And...
Gucci Group. And YSL was our first acquisition.
So, my role at Gucci became very much a designer, because I was doing both Gucci and YSL.
I was shuttling back and forth between London, Paris, Milan, and designing 16 collections a year.
And I was also... I had a very big role in the company with regards to the business.
And so, it was... I was stretched pretty thin, by the end.
A Single Man was your first feature film.
It was.
And there was a tremendous amount of Oscar buzz at the time. Colin Firth was even nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.
Talk to me about what it was like going into that very strange, I think, business when you're not used to it.
It felt totally natural to me. And, you know, I have to say, I've had a house in Los Angeles for a long time. I have an office there.
I know a lot of people in the film industry. Everyone was incredibly supportive. There's a line, I think, that, you know, people in Hollywood can "nice" you to death.
So, when they're supportive, you have to kind of take it with a grain of salt, but they're incredibly polite, incredibly supportive.
So, I thought, "Well, everyone thought I can really do this". It wasn't until after I had made my film that almost every interviewer said,
"What was it like making a film and having it turn out as a success when everyone thought you were crazy?" And I thought...
How sweet.
People thought I was crazy? You mean, people didn't actually think I could do this? Because I had a very clear picture of what I wanted the film to be.
And I'm not going to say that there weren't things that I learned and that I didn't know, but directing a film is not that dissimilar to being a creative director of a large fashion house.
First of all, you have to have a vision. That's the most important thing. You have to have something to say. Why does anybody need to see a Tom Ford film?
Why does anybody need a Tom Ford jacket or a Tom Ford brand? So you have to have something to say.
Then, you have to hire a great team of people to help you realize that vision.
And you have to create an environment where those people can be creative and give you their very best.
And then you have to also slowly guide, carefully, that team of people to help you realize your vision.
How different is the public persona Tom Ford from the Tom Ford that only you and those closest to you know?
Very, very, very different. Of course, they cross. I mean, I've put an enormous amount of my personality into my brand.
But, I am actually -- and you won't believe it because I'm very confident sitting here talking to you -- very, very shy.
I love to be alone. And, you know, I'm very, very different, I think.
Because, you know, when your image is around and what you design is somewhat slick and very urban, people can think that you are just surface,
because that is what we produce in fashion.
We produce surface, and film produces surface, too, by the way.
There's an enormous amount of, you know, smoke behind those mirrors. And so, I'm very different.