Editing Tom Ford (section)

== Fashion career ==
=== Early career ===
When interviewing for jobs after graduation, Ford said that he had attended [[The New School]]'s Parsons division, but concealed that he graduated in architecture,<ref name=gale /> and that his work at Chloé was a low-level public relations position. Despite his lack of experience in fashion, Ford called American designer Cathy Hardwick every day for a month in hopes of securing a job at her sportswear company. Hardwick eventually agreed to interview him. She later recalled the incident: "I had every intention of giving him no hope. I asked him who his favorite European designers were. He said, '[[Armani]] and [[Chanel]].' Months later I asked him why he said that, and he said, 'Because you were wearing something Armani.' Is it any wonder he got the job?" Ford worked as a design assistant for Hardwick for two years.<ref name=gale>"Tom Ford", ''Newsmakers'' (1999), ''Biography In Context'', Gale, Detroit</ref>

In 1988, Ford moved to [[Perry Ellis (brand)|Perry Ellis]],<ref name=gale /> where he knew both Robert McDonald, the company's president, and [[Marc Jacobs]], its designer, socially. He worked at the company for two years, but grew tired of working in American fashion. In a later interview with ''[[The New York Times]]'', he commented, "If I was ever going to become a good designer, I had to leave America. My own culture was inhibiting me. Too much style in America is tacky. It's looked down upon to be too stylish. Europeans, however, appreciate style."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fashionone.com/news/2014/09/29/touch-innuendo-tom-ford-springsummer-2015/ |title=A Touch of Innuendo at Tom Ford Spring/Summer 2015 |date=September 29, 2014 |website=[[Fashion One]] |access-date=April 8, 2016 |archive-date=April 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424091905/http://www.fashionone.com/news/2014/09/29/touch-innuendo-tom-ford-springsummer-2015/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Parker |first=Ashley Joy |date=August 27, 2013 |title=This Week In Fashion History: The Rise And Rise Of Tom Ford's Empire |url=http://www.fashiontimes.com/articles/595/20130827/week-fashion-history-rise-tom-fords-empire.htm |website=Fashion Times |publisher=[[IBT Media]] |access-date=April 18, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426014328/http://www.fashiontimes.com/articles/595/20130827/week-fashion-history-rise-tom-fords-empire.htm |archive-date=April 26, 2016 }}</ref>

At the time, Italian fashion house [[Gucci]] was struggling financially and was seeking to strengthen its women's ready-to-wear presence as a part of a brand overhaul. The company's creative director, [[Dawn Mello]] said, "no one would dream of wearing Gucci". In 1990, Mello hired Ford as the brand's chief women's ready-to-wear designer and Ford moved to [[Milan]].<ref name=gale /> "I was talking to a lot of people, and most didn't want the job," Mello said. "For an American designer to move to Italy to join a company that was far from being a brand would have been pretty risky." Ford and his longtime partner, fashion journalist Richard Buckley, relocated to Milan that September.<ref name=gale />

Ford's role at Gucci rapidly expanded; he was designing [[Suit (clothing)|menswear]] within six months, and shoes soon after that. When Richard Lambertson left as design director in 1992, Ford took over his position,<ref name=gale /> heading the brand's ready-to-wear, [[Aroma compound|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.<ref name=gale /> 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.

=== Creative Director of Gucci and Saint Laurent ===
[[File:Evening dress in Chinese dragon print satin by Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. Dress of the Year, 2004.jpg|405x405px|thumb|Evening dress by Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. Selected as [[Dress of the Year]] for 2004]]

In 1994, Ford was promoted to Creative Director of [[Gucci]]. In his first year at the helm, he introduced [[Halston]]-style velvet [[Low-rise (fashion)|hipsters]], skinny [[satin]] shirts and car-finish metallic patent boots.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gucci – Fall 1995 Ready-to-Wear|url=https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-1995-ready-to-wear/gucci#collection|website=vogue.com|date=March 15, 1995 |access-date=September 21, 2017}}</ref> In 1995, he brought in French [[Wardrobe stylist|stylist]] [[Carine Roitfeld]] and photographer [[Mario Testino]] to create a series of new ad campaigns for the company.<ref>{{cite news |last=Horyn |first=Cathy |date=April 20, 2015 |title=Tom Ford Gets Candid About His Years at Gucci |url=https://nymag.com/thecut/2015/04/tom-ford-gets-candid-about-his-years-at-gucci.html |work=[[New York (magazine)|The Cut]] |access-date=April 7, 2016}}</ref> Between 1995 and 1996, sales at [[Gucci]] increased by 90%. At one point, Ford was the largest individual [[shareholder]] of Gucci stock and options. By 1999, the house, which had been almost insolvent when Ford joined, was valued at more than $4&nbsp;billion.<ref name=bof>{{cite news |last=Amed |first=Imran |date=September 26, 2013 |title=The Business of Being Tom Ford, Part I |url=http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/people/the-business-of-being-tom-ford-part-i |work=[[The Business of Fashion]] |access-date=April 7, 2016}}</ref>

When Gucci acquired the house of [[Yves Saint Laurent (brand)|Yves Saint Laurent]] (YSL) in 1999, Ford was named Creative Director of that label as well.<ref name=time>{{cite news |last=Foxman |first=Ariel |date=February 11, 2016 |title=Tom Ford Wants to Change the Way We Shop |url=https://time.com/4217076/tom-ford-fashion-design/ |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref> [[Yves Saint Laurent (designer)|Saint Laurent]] did not hide his displeasure with Ford's designs, stating "The poor man does what he can."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/fashion/02laurent.html |work=The New York Times |first=Anne-Marie |last=Schiro |title=Yves Saint Laurent, Giant of Couture, Dies at 71 |date=June 2, 2008}}</ref> During his time as creative director for YSL, Ford nonetheless won numerous [[Council of Fashion Designers of America]] Awards. Ford was able to pull the classic fashion house back into the mainstream.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://perfumesociety.org/discover-perfume/an-introduction/perfume-houses/tom-ford/ |title=Tom Ford – Perfume Society |website=Perfume Society |language=en-US |access-date=April 18, 2016}}</ref> His advertising campaigns for the YSL fragrances [[Opium (perfume)|Opium]] (with a red-haired [[Sophie Dahl]] naked wearing only a necklace and [[Stiletto heel|stiletto]] heels in a sexually suggestive pose)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/gallery/19779/16/controversial-fashion-ads |title=Controversial fashion ads |website=[[Dazed]] |access-date=April 8, 2016}}</ref> and YSL [[M7 (perfume)|M7]] (with [[martial arts]] champion Samuel de Cubber in complete full-frontal nudity)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/gallery/19779/4/controversial-fashion-ads |title=Controversial fashion ads |website=[[Dazed]] |access-date=April 8, 2016}}</ref> were [[Controversy|controversial]] and provocative.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Allwood |first=Emma Hope |date=May 13, 2015 |title=Fashion v censorship: a history of banned ads |url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/24720/1/fashion-v-censorship-a-history-of-banned-ads-miu-miu-tom-ford |work=[[Dazed]] |access-date=April 8, 2016}}</ref>

In April 2004, Ford parted ways with the Gucci group after he and [[CEO]] Domenico de Sole, who is credited as Ford's partner in Gucci's success, failed to agree with Pinault Printemps Redoute's boss over control of the Group.<ref name=bof /><ref name=racked>{{Cite news |last=Schreyer |first=Natalie |date=January 15, 2015 |title=Only One Man Belongs at Gucci, and His Name is Tom Ford |url=http://www.racked.com/2015/1/15/7560789/tom-ford-gucci |work=Racked |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |access-date=April 8, 2016}}</ref> He has since referred to this experience as "devastating" and as a "midlife crisis" because he had "put everything into that for fifteen years".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://the-talks.com/interview/tom-ford/ |title=Tom Ford: "I am really a loner after all" |date=July 20, 2011 |website=The Talks |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref> When Ford left in 2004, [[Gucci Group]] was valued at $10&nbsp;billion.<ref name=racked /> Four people were hired to split the work Ford had done.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moran |first=Terry <!-- |date=March 12 year unknown – source gives month-day, but not year. Wayback Machine has article as far back as October 2004--> |title=Person of the Week: Tom Ford |url=https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/PersonOfWeek/story?id=131535 |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |access-date=April 18, 2016}}</ref>

=== Tom Ford label ===
[[File:Tom Ford dress at the Met (52708).jpg|thumb|upright|A dress Ford designed in 2018 in the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] exhibition ''In America: A Lexicon of Fashion'']]
[[File:Tom Ford Shop.jpg|left|thumb|277x277px|A Tom Ford boutique in Toronto]]
After leaving [[Gucci]], Ford launched a line of menswear, beauty, eyewear, and accessories in 2006, named after himself. De Sole became chairman of the label.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-feb-28-et-quick28.2-story.html |title=Tom Ford to launch his own label |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |first=Mimi |last=Avins |date=February 28, 2006}}</ref> Ford has described "the [[Tom Ford (brand)|Tom Ford]] customer" as international, cultured, well-traveled, and possessing [[disposable income]]. For women, he added "strong women, … intelligent women who know their own style".<ref>{{cite web |work=CNBC International |title=Who is the Tom Ford Customer? {{!}} Tom Ford Interview {{!}} CNBC International |date=February 24, 2015 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btlgsKIvN0M |access-date=April 18, 2016}}</ref>

[[Michelle Obama|First Lady Michelle Obama]] wore an ivory floor-length evening gown designed by Ford to [[Buckingham Palace]] in 2011.<ref name=fashionista>{{cite news |last=Chernikoff |first=Leah |date=May 25, 2011 |title=Michelle Obama stuns in Tom Ford at Buckingham Palace; Could it be her best black tie look to date? |url=http://fashionista.com/2011/05/michelle-obama-stuns-in-tom-ford-at-buckingham-palace-could-it-be-her-best-evening-look-to-date |website=Fashionista |publisher=Breaking Media |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/18/fashion/michelle-obama-stages-her-own-london-fashion-week.html |title=Michelle Obama Stages Her Own London Fashion Week |last=Friedman |first=Vanessa |date=June 17, 2015 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=February 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Odell |first=Amy |date=May 25, 2011 |title=Michelle Obama Wore Tom Ford to a Buckingham Palace Banquet |url=https://nymag.com/thecut/2011/05/michelle_obama_wore_tom_ford_t.html |website=The Cut |publisher=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref> He has also dressed [[Beyoncé]], [[Jennifer Lopez]], [[Gwyneth Paltrow]], [[Anne Hathaway]], [[Daniel Craig]], [[Tom Hanks]], [[Johnny Depp]], [[Ryan Gosling]], [[Will Smith]], [[Julianne Moore]], [[Hugh Jackman]], [[Jon Hamm]], and [[Henry Cavill]].<ref name=vogue /><ref name=latimes>{{cite news |last=Tschorn |first=Adam |date=August 8, 2013 |title=Yahoo searches for 'Tom Ford' spike -- is Jay Z the reason? |url=https://www.latimes.com/fashion/alltherage/la-ar-yahoo-searches-tom-ford-spike-is-jay-z-the-reason-20130808-story.html |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref> Ford designed [[Daniel Craig]]'s suits for his final four [[James Bond]] films: ''[[Quantum of Solace]]'' (2008), ''[[Skyfall]]'' (2012), ''[[Spectre (2015 film)|Spectre]]'' (2015), and ''[[No Time to Die]]'' (2021).<ref name=vogue>{{cite news |last=Karmali |first=Sarah |date=September 25, 2012 |title=Tom Ford On James Bond's Skyfall Wardrobe |url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2012/09/25/tom-ford-on-daniel-craig-james-bond-skyfall-wardrobe |magazine=[[Vogue (British magazine)|Vogue UK]] |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sagoo |first=Shereen |date=November 17, 2015 |title=Buy Like Bond |url=http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/what-labels-does-james-bond-wear-in-spectre |magazine=British GQ |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tom Ford Dresses 007 In No Time To Die |url=https://www.007.com/tom-ford-dresses-007-in-no-time-to-die/ |website=007.com |date=August 11, 2020 |access-date=February 19, 2021}}</ref>

In 2013, Ford was mentioned in [[Justin Timberlake]]'s song "[[Suit & Tie]]", which was a collaboration with [[Jay-Z]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Burton |first=Cinya |date=July 11, 2013 |title=Tom Ford Responds to Jay-Z's Name Drop |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/438194/tom-ford-responds-to-jay-z-s-name-drop |publisher=[[E!]] |access-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ramos |first=Dorkys |date=July 11, 2013 |title=Tom Ford Responds to Jay-Z's Musical Ode to the Designer |url=https://www.bet.com/article/yqkbhy/tom-ford-responds-to-jay-z-s-musical-ode-to-the-designer |work=[[BET]] |access-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref> Ford created the suits, shirts, and accessories for the [[56th Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy winning]] "Suit & Tie" music video.<ref name=latimes/> He went on to dress Timberlake's [[The 20/20 Experience World Tour|20/20 Experience World Tour]], designing over 600 pieces for the tour.<ref>{{cite news |last=Westervelt |first=Bryce |date=January 29, 2013 |title=Justin Timberlake hires Tom Ford to design 'Suit & Tie' comeback |url=http://www.axs.com/news/justin-timberlake-hires-tom-ford-to-design-suit-tie-comeback-16006 |work=AXS |publisher=[[Anschutz Entertainment Group]] |access-date=April 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mccall |first=Tyler |date=November 6, 2013 |title=Tom Ford Designed 600 Pieces Exclusively for Justin Timberlake |url=http://fashionista.com/2013/11/tom-ford-designed-600-pieces-exclusively-for-justin-timberlake |work=Fashionista |publisher=Breaking Media |access-date=April 6, 2016}}</ref> The same year, Jay-Z released a song titled "[[Tom Ford (song)|Tom Ford]]" with "Tom Ford" rapped numerous times within the song.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Trevor |date=July 3, 2013 |title=Jay-Z "Previews "Tom Ford" (Magna Carta Promo)" Video |url=http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/jay-z-previews-tom-ford-video.13872.html |work=Hotnewhiphop.com |access-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sowray |first=Bibby |date=July 4, 2013 |title=Jay-Z debuts 'Tom Ford' track |url=http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG10159341/Jay-Z-debuts-Tom-Ford-track.html |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref> Ford responded that he was flattered and "it means that one has really penetrated and made an impact on popular culture."<ref>{{cite news |last=Ma |first=Julie |date=July 11, 2013 |title=Tom Ford Flattered by Jay-Z's New Track Named After Him |url=https://nymag.com/thecut/2013/07/tom-ford-flattered-by-jay-zs-new-track.html |work=[[New York (magazine)|The Cut]] |access-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref> Following the song's release, Ford received a huge spike in online search engine queries.<ref name=latimes /><ref>{{cite magazine |last=DelliCarpini |first=Gregory Jr. |date=July 8, 2013 |title=Jay-Z's 'Tom Ford' Shout Out on 'Magna Carta' Album Makes Designer Feel 'Flattered': Exclusive |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-hook/1569302/jay-zs-tom-ford-shout-out-on-magna-carta-album-makes-designer-feel |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref> The song would go on to sell over a million copies and become [[Music recording sales certification|certified platinum]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Jay+Z&ti=Tom+Ford#search_section |title=Gold & Platinum |website=[[RIAA]] |access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref>

In November 2022, the Tom Ford brand was purchased by [[The Estée Lauder Companies|Estée Lauder]] for $2.8 billion.<ref>{{cite web |last=O'Kane |first=Caitlin |date=November 17, 2022 |title=Tom Ford just sold his fashion brand to Estée Lauder. That likely makes him a billionaire |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-ford-billionaire-sold-to-estee-lauder-for-2-8-billion-fashion-brand-designers-net-worth/ |access-date=April 30, 2023 |website=[[CBS News]]}}</ref> ''[[Forbes]]'' estimated that Ford would earn $1.1 billion from the deal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tognini |first=Giacomo |date=November 15, 2022 |title=Tom Ford's $2.8 Billion Deal To Sell His Fashion Brand To Estée Lauder Makes Him A Billionaire |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/giacomotognini/2022/11/15/tom-fords-28-billion-deal-to-sell-his-fashion-brand-to-estee-lauder-makes-him-a-billionaire/ |access-date=April 30, 2023 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> The following April, Ford stepped down as the brand's creative director and was succeeded by designer Peter Hawkings.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Borrelli |first=Silvia Sciorilli |date=April 28, 2023 |title=Tom Ford bows out from eponymous brand after multibillion takeover deal |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a03e36a2-cec7-4fd0-8888-4d099a66cea3 |access-date=April 30, 2023}}</ref>

=== Controversies ===
Ford has been criticized for using naked women in various ad campaigns. Various journalists asserted that the ads were vulgar, sexist, or objectified women. One ad featured a nude woman holding a bottle of the perfume between her legs. Another featured a naked woman ironing a man's pants while he read a newspaper. A separate ad was banned in Italy.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wallis |first=David |date=June 4, 2012 |title=The Breast of Advertising: From Hooters to the cover of 'Time,' does the strategy sell or repel? |url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/breast-advertising-140889 |magazine=[[Adweek]] |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Allwood |first=Emma Hope |date=May 13, 2015 |title=Fashion v censorship: a history of banned ads |url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/24720/1/fashion-v-censorship-a-history-of-banned-ads-miu-miu-tom-ford |magazine=Dazed |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Stampler |first=Laura |date=April 10, 2012 |title=These Modern Ads Are Even More Sexist Than Their 'Mad Men' Era Counterparts |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/these-modern-ads-are-even-more-sexist-than-their-mad-men-era-counterparts-2012-4 |website=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--staff writers--> |date=April 25, 2008 |title=Italy gives the finger to latest Tom Ford ad |url=http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/italy-gives-finger-latest-tom-ford-ad-15947 |magazine=[[Adweek]] |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref>

Responding to criticism that he objectified women, Ford stated he is an "equal opportunity objectifier" and is "just as happy to objectify men". He argued "you can't show male nudity in our culture in the way you can show female nudity" and pointed out that he did a male nude ad while at Yves Saint Laurent which got pulled.<ref name=hughes>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/mar/21/tom-ford-im-an-equal-opportunity-objectifier |title=Tom Ford: 'I'm an equal opportunity objectifier' |last=Hughes |first=Sali |date=March 21, 2015 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref><ref name=cnbc>{{Cite news |publisher=CNBC International |title=Tom Ford's Penis Necklace Controversy {{!}} Tom Ford Interview |date=February 24, 2015 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtOBsZpkz8I |access-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref>

In 2014, Ford released a new product, called the "Penis Pendant Necklace". The product caused some controversy, with Christians calling it offensive due to the pendant being shaped similar to a [[Christian cross]] or [[crucifix]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Tsjeng |first=Zing |date=December 15, 2014 |title=Christians outraged by Tom Ford cross-shaped penis necklace |url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/22921/1/christians-outraged-by-tom-ford-cross-shaped-penis-necklace |magazine=Dazed |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sharkey |first=Linda |date=December 11, 2014 |title=Tom Ford's 18 carat gold penis necklace is now on sale – just in time for Christmas |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/tom-fords-18k-gold-penis-necklace-is-now-on-sale-just-in-time-for-christmas-9917939.html |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref> Ford replied that "it was not meant to be a cross, it was a phallus" and "people read into things what they want to".<ref name=cnbc />

In 2022, Ford criticized the [[Met Gala]], stating the event had "turned into a costume party."<ref>{{cite news |last=Anna |first=Anna|date=April 27, 2022|title=Tom Ford harshly criticizes the outfits at the 'Met Gala'|url=https://havannews.com/2022/04/27/tom-ford-harshly-criticizes-the-outfits-at-the-met-gala/ |magazine=Havannews|access-date=April 27, 2022}}</ref>