Thomas Carlyle Ford aka Tom Ford is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. Born in Austin, Texas, Ford began to seriously pursue art following his move to New York City to study at New York University. He met Ian Falconer and was taken to the legendary Studio 54 nightclub. However, Ford would drop out of his university and briefly focus on commercial acting.

Ford would return to his studies at Parsons The New School for Design, where he studied interior architecture. It wasn’t until his final year that he began studying fashion. Despite his inexperience, Tord managed to land a position as design assistant for Cathy Hardwick for two years at her sportswear company. Ford would move on to Perry Ellis, where he worked for two more years before leaving for Gucci.

Ford began as Gucci’s chief women’s ready-to-wear designer and then a menswear designer. A few years later, Ford found himself as Gucci’s design director for Gucci’s
ready-to-wear, fragrances, image, advertising, and store design. Ford continued to rise in the company until he was promoted to Creative Director of Gucci and eventually Creative Director of Yves Saint Laurent when it was bought in 1999.

His career with the company continued until 2005, when he left to found his own self-titled brand, Tom Ford, launching with menswear, beauty, eyewear, and accessories. Throughout his lengthy career, Ford has won a number of honors and awards, including 2001 Best Fashion Designer for Time Magazine, 2001 CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year, Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum’s Fashion Design Achievement Award, 2008 CFDA’s Menswear Designer of the Year, 2009 GQ Germany Man of the Year, and much more.

Ford is currently one of the most notable fashion designers of the 21st century.