Tom Ford: A fashion giant who does not hide his demons

Sixty years ago in Texas, on August 27, 1961, a boy named Thomas Carlyle Ford was born, a boy immensely important to anyone who understands the world of fashion and beauty.

Fashion designer, director, furniture designer - all these professions adorn this distinctive American whose success dates back to the early eighties, while as a student he renovated old furniture around the house and gave his mother advice on what to wear. Although he rejected two colleges very quickly when enrolling, this did not stop him from finding happiness in a professional sense at the esteemed design school Parsons in New York where, despite the direction of fashion and design, Ford decides to enroll in architecture and interior design.

'If my parents hadn't raised me in a very free spirit, my life would surely have gone in a different direction. This is how I live, I do what I love and want now. And thank you to my parents for that, ' said the designer on one occasion.

‘I live exactly as I planned when I was five years old. My life changed and brought me things I didn’t expect and each one was different. I thought that material things would bring me happiness, but they didn't, but during it all, I learned what is important and what is not ', this creative mogul revealed.

‘I grew up in New Mexico, and the older I get, the less I have a need for modern culture and big cities and everything we’re bombarded with, and after all, I spent my youth in the dream city of many people. Now I am far happier alone, on my ranch in the middle of nowhere watching a beetle carrying leaves on the grass, listening to the silence, riding a horse and staying outdoors,' he admitted.

After graduating, Ford spoke at job interviews about where he studied, but never revealed to anyone that, instead of design, he had a degree in architecture. So in the renowned fashion house, Chloé, he got his first job in the public relations department.

- The faculty and the architecture itself made me very tired, and my only happiness was the fact that everything I ever sketched and designed could easily be turned into a garment - he revealed.

Despite his lack of experience in fashion, but because of his overwhelming love and sense of the job, Ford called American designer Cathy Hardwick every day for a month in hopes of securing him a job at her sportswear company. Hardwick eventually agreed to talk to him and recalled the anecdote from the first meeting.

'I didn't intend to give him a chance. I asked him who his favorite European designers were, and he told Armani and Chanel. Months later, I asked him why he said that, and he replied, "Because you wore Armani and Chanel in that interview," recalled Hardwick, who gave Ford the position of design assistant. Very soon after an internship at Hardwick, Ford moved to the Perry Ellis fashion house, where he met the legendary Marc Jacobs, who was the president of that fashion house at the time. But he didn't have much peace there either, so after two years at that fashion house, he decided to leave American fashion and travel to Europe.

‘Because I wanted to become a good designer, I had to leave America. My culture has held me back. Too much of it is distasteful in America. Europeans, unlike them, appreciate style, 'he once said.

'I'm a perfectionist. This job is in a way ego-building. There is nothing more beautiful than being a designer and saying, "This is how you should dress, and this is how your homes should look, and this is how the world should be. But I am aware that all this is in some insane way also a farce ', he admits.

At a time when the Italian fashion house Gucci was in financial difficulties and trying to strengthen its women's clothing as part of a complete overhaul of the brand, the then creative director Dawn Mello hired Ford as the chief designer of women's fashion in the early 1990s in Milan.

‘I talked to a lot of people and most didn’t want a job and then an American designer moved to Italy to join a company that wasn’t just a brand. It was quite risky, 'said Mello.

Ford and his longtime partner, fashion journalist Richard Buckley, moved to Milan that September 1990 when Gucci shone in full glory again, thanks to the Texan. His role in Gucci quickly expanded to other segments besides women's clothing, and in just six months of working in Gucci, he began designing men's clothing as well as shoes. He also took care of advertising and the public image of the company, which literally flourished with the arrival of Ford. One of the famous campaigns was the 'Public Enemy' recorded in 2003 by Mario Testino.

'Advertising is, of course, important because it's the final design. This is the last layer that tells the client what you are offering ', Ford used to point out, whose campaigns were often declared the most controversial.

The intimate 'G' shape on model Carmen Kass shocked the world, and it is interesting that out of the 18 most controversial fashion campaigns ever, according to the choice of one internet portal, as many as five were taken by Tom Ford. This fashion giant either attracts or irritates the audience so the fashion audience either loves him or bypasses him in a wide arc. Ford regularly portrays the female body sexually, very explicitly, and men as rulers over the female sex, which has attracted the displeasure of many feminists.  The revolts against his campaigns didn't lead him to change direction, but he continued to provoke wherever he appeared.

‘I never used the name pornochic. It is a term that should be left to the time in which it was created. Today, fashion needs to breathe more sensuality, and that is something completely different from the aggressive sexuality that was promoted in the 1990s, 'he points out.

‘My grandmother was the first woman I thought was beautiful. She was incredibly elegant, she had long hair, big eyes, and breasts. I was probably three years old, but she was like a cartoon character. She would fly into our lives with gifts and boxes, and she always smelled and looked great. She charmed me as a woman ', he revealed and added that she is his muse when he designs.

‘There are a lot of designers who are a lot more talented than me, but they may not have my passion driving me, they may not work so hard, they may not have the focus, the desire. You have to have talent, but also perseverance because at the end of the day if the pants you design don’t make someone’s buttocks look great, no one will buy them. It's very simple ', he claims.

Under Ford's creative baton, Gucci has regained the old shine that this Italian fashion house had in the 1980s, and in addition, in 1999 Ford took responsibility for the ready-to-wear collection of the French house Yves Saint Laurent, which was then bought by Gucci.

‘Fashion is also a means of seduction. A piece of clothing can often be more suggestive and challenging than a naked body. The advantage of clothing is that it hides our shortcomings and highlights the advantages. In addition, fine fabrics and luxurious materials provide an intense tactile experience, encourage touch, make you very sensual, 'he said.

Despite the laurels on which Ford was living at the time, Yves himself, who was the chief designer of the couture line, was never pleased with Ford’s fashion expression. Although the house of Saint Laurent under Ford came to life, for the rest of his life Saint Laurent did not recognize this top creative as a quality designer.

- No piece of clothing symbolizes femininity. The most important thing is to show what we have, to highlight our virtues. Dare to show your legs if they are beautiful, collarbone, shoulder, décolleté ... The most beautiful thing about femininity is knowing what to show and what to hide - says the designer.

Although he was increasingly successful in business, Ford struggled with his inner demons for years, a depression that would often drown him in the hell of drugs if he didn't work on new campaigns and collections. Working for 18 hours a day influenced the designer, so for some time he increasingly resorted to various drugs. While working for Gucci, he would often consider suicide.

- It seems like everything in your life is wonderful, there's just so much. It will sound awful, but when you have so much wonderful, it is no longer wonderful because you do not have time to enjoy it - he spoke openly about the problems and everything he has been confronted with since childhood.

He also asked for professional help several times, went to rehabilitation, and his 13-years-older husband Richard Buckley always stood by him faithfully. Although he claims that monogamy is a very artificial creation, he has been faithful to his partner for 34 years.

‘I think it’s important to rely on intuition when choosing a partner. Richard's spiritual and character qualities, which attracted me strongly, I noticed already during the first meeting. I don’t know if it can be generalized that a successful relationship requires affinity alignment, but in our case, it just happened. If you feel a strong connection with someone, it should be carefully guarded. The relationship requires constant effort, but it deserves it, 'describes Tom Ford.

For better or worse, it’s so literally in the lives of Tom Ford and his partner Richard, whom he met in 1986, while Buckley was still writing for Women’s Wear Daily magazine. They have been inseparable ever since. Richard moved with him to Italy, was with him while Ford was on drug rehab, and Tom reciprocated with concern when Buckley was suffering from a malignant tumor.

'At the beginning of our relationship I was communicative, an extrovert, and he an introvert, but if you met us today, you would think differently. If you invite Richard to a party, he will be delighted. I am more for dinners with four to six close people, 'he said once.

In 2012, the couple had a son, Alexander John Buckley Ford, who was born by a surrogate mother.

‘If I ever have children, no one will find out before they are born. And no one will ever see that child because I will certainly not use it as a weapon to attract the media. If I have a child, you won't even know I have one, you may see it when it is 18 because I will keep it away from the spotlight, 'he said.

But even the long-awaited birth of his son and happiness in marriage did not bring him to complete peace and a way out of depression.

‘I always wanted children, but the race for career and eternal problems pushed my dream of a child into the background. When Jack showed up at our family, it’s Alexander John’s nickname, I was severely depressed and couldn’t control myself. The worst part is that I allowed myself to be close to the child in such an inappropriate condition. It's hard for me to understand that I dropped him on the stairs once, and on another occasion, I accidentally burned him with a cigarette ', he recounted his painful moments.

He makes no secret of the fact that he idealized parenting duties and did not understand all the responsibilities, seriousness, and complexity that fatherhood brings. Over time, he began to understand and learn from his mistakes.

‘A son is the only person I can sacrifice for. After everything that happened to me, I removed the thoughts of self-destruction from my head. Fatherhood has become difficult, but an important lesson for me, 'he admits.

Love for family and dedication to work drive this designer who is celebrating 14 years since founding his own brand this year. Today, Tom Ford’s house has more than 140 stores worldwide, and the corporation’s average annual earnings are about $ 1 billion. But clothing within the Ford brand has not been in the forefront for a long time, but in collaboration with the house of Estée Lauder, he launched his own line of decorative cosmetics and perfumes. The first Black Orchid perfume from 2006 was a huge success, and today it has 67 perfumes with its signature. His campaigns, of course, are controversial, so advertising with the naked Sophie Dahl was banned.

‘Beauty products are one of my great passions because they are an outstanding catalyst. I worked on them a lot, I was very dedicated to making an exceptional palette of eyeshadows and varnishes of bright colors that complement the products for care and beauty. I am very happy with the reception. I am constantly adding new colors. My goal has never been to create a ‘Parisian fragrance’, but to offer a fragrance that will suit the taste of a cosmopolitan clientele. But it must be acknowledged that France has a long tradition when it comes to fragrances and it has influenced fragrances all over the world ', adds Ford known for the suits and glasses he wears and which over time have become his trademark.

‘Dark suits are definitely my uniform, both at work and for going out on the town. But, of course, I also have clothes suitable for hiking in the hills around Los Angeles, for riding on a ranch in Santa Fe. On weekends I usually wear the same as during the week. In the evening I undress, throw my clothes on the floor and pick them up in the morning, and put them on again. I don’t burden myself with looks except for going out. There are days when it's better not to see what I look like ', admits this artist who turns everything he touches into gold. 

The Lips and Boys lipstick collection, first released in 2014, sold out online in two minutes. Ford named each shade of lipstick after one of the men who inspired him, and the most sought-after lipstick was named after his favorite musician Drake.

And in the world of film, this 60-year-old American leaves an indelible mark. Of the two films, he directed, ‘Single’ from 2009 and ‘Nocturnal Animals’ from 2016, actors Colin Firth and Michael Shannon were nominated for an Oscar.

‘I would like to unite two careers, design and directing. It would be ideal to make a film every three to four years. It's wonderful to sail between those two jobs, 'said Ford, who says it would make him laugh if someone made a film about him.

‘I don’t think my life deserves a movie. My biography? The audience would fall asleep ', says the creative man, and many in the world who appreciate his work would not agree with that statement.

He cites happiness as the key to success, and a recipe for good looks, genes, and sacrifices, he says, have done their part.

'Happiness is read from the face. If you are in a good mood and positive, you will look youthful in later years. Of course, good genes help with good aging, as well as devoting care to your body and, of course, a lot of exercise. If you ask me if I’ve ever had plastic surgery, my answer is no. I put Botox and Restylane, but I don't call it surgery ', he admits and adds.

'I live every day the way I want to. Now I'm a bit older, so it's easier to choose what I want to do, but believe me, you don't need New Year's or birthday decisions for that ', concludes the versatile designer.

By: Olivia J. - Gossip Whispers