tom ford :: essays research papers

TOM FORD      natural in Texas in 1962, Tom track went on to become arguably the most influential designer of the last decade. Having initially trained as an actor, he studied interior architecture at Parsons School of objective until 1986, and went on to take positions at Perry Ellis and Cathy Hardwick, onwards joining Gucci in 1990.     Ford was hired by Guccis then creative handler Dawn Mello as chief womens ready-to-wear designer, and later appointed design director. When, in 1994, Gucci was acquired by a Bahrain-based investment firm called Investcorp, Ford was promoted to creative director and travel to Milan with his partner, journalist Richard Buckley.      In his first year at the helm, he was assign with putting the glamour back into fashion introducing Halston-style velvet hipsters, skinny satin shirts and car-finish gilded patent boots. In 1995, he brought in French stylist Carine Roitfeld and lensman Mari o Testino to create a series of new, modern ad campaigns for the company. By 1999, the house, which had been nearly bankrupt when Ford joined, was valued at about $4.3 billion. "We didnt even hold up a photocopier at one stage," he admits. "We didnt have any paper." In 2000, Ford was named Best International Designer at the first VH1/ mode Awards in New York.     After Gucci bought a controlling stake in Yves revere Laurent, Ford was appointed creative director of YSL, too, and communications director of the houses ready-to-wear business, while continuing to design for Gucci. A mighty take exception certainly, but Ford was adamant he could keep the twain labels distinct. "Historically, Gucci is Sophia Loren. Yves Saint Laurent is Catherine Deneuve. Theyre both sexy," he told British Vogue in February 2001. "Its just that Gucci is a little more obvious than Saint Laurent. The YSL woman might wed her boyfriend up and drip hot wax o n him before they have sex, for instance. The Gucci woman is just going to have sex."     Ford believes that he owes his success not to talent, but to his energy. He admits to sleeping just two or three hours per night, keeping post-it notes beside the bed in case he wakes up with an idea. "There are many more talented designers than me," he once told an audience at the V&A in London. "But I have a lot of drive and wont permit it go." He also credits his "mainstream" appeal. "Im lucky, I have mass-market tastes," he says. "When I say I like a shoe, generally thousands of people testament like it.