Perhaps there’s no one else quite like Tom Ford.
The designer has successfully traversed fashion, film, the beauty industry, and business with ease and banking millions of dollars in profits by doing so. Texas-born Ford rose to fame when he helped save Gucci from massive financial difficulties in the 90s and then went on to build his multimillion-dollar eponymous fashion label afterwards, only to cross over into successful filmmaking in later part of his life.
The genius maven also took on Yves Saint Laurent during his time under the Gucci Group, modernising the YSL silhouette and making it more popular among mainstream audiences. Not only did he master the fashion scene, but Ford also undoubtedly knows a thing or two about creating best-selling beauty and fragrance products under his own label.
So, it’s no surprise that many fashion legacies and celebrities have adored him as well. The pioneer designer Diane von Fürstenberg has famously once called him "a cross between a Rolls-Royce and the Marlboro Man," hinting at his polished elegance and provocative edge in all of his creations.
From a business perspective, Ford helped Gucci’s annual sales rise spectacularly from US$230 million in 1994 to nearly US$3 billion by 2003, according to the Councils of Fashion Designers of America. Meanwhile, for his own namesake brand, Tom Ford has reportedly made $1.1 billion in cash (after taxes) from the sale of his namesake brand to The Estée Lauder Companies in 2022, which made the designer a billionaire afterwards.
But his meteoric success and legendary creations are only possible due to his first and foremost love that’s fashion designing. GQ Magazine has reported that, during his Gucci years, Ford shared, “To really be successful at women’s fashion, you have to live and breathe nothing else. Twenty-four hours a day. There can be absolutely nothing else in your life.” The magazine even claimed that Ford's recipe of mixing sex appeal and celebrity fans has “helped reshape fashion from a European subculture into a global force of popular culture.”
Curious to know how he did it? Here’s the complete MAYFEYR breakdown.
House of Gucci: Tom Ford Era
Ford joined Gucci in 1990 as the company’s chief womenswear designer, and after four years of tenure, he got his first breakthrough collection that changed the trajectory of his career. For Gucci’s Fall/Winter 1995 collection, Ford sent Kate Moss down the runway in velvet hip-hugging trousers paired with the now-famous jewel-toned satin blouse in an open-collar style. As they said, the blue shirt changed everything.
For the next ten years, Tom Ford ruled Gucci like no one else in the fashion industry. While it’s easy to describe his Gucci era as high-octane glamour and sex appeal that put him and the fashion house on the map, Ford was also a mastermind at creating luxurious clothing albeit the provocative cutouts and iconic logo hardware.
Just take a look at some of his best items. From the famous silk blouse and slinky evening dress to his Halston-inspired hip-cutout jersey gown—all of them revolutionized 90s fashion into the phenomenon we adore today. And who can forget the dreamy velvet trousers that made you want to feel every inch of them? Or his leather goods fantasy, ranging from classic loafers and Gucci Horsebit Chain Bags to polished knee-high boots?
And when we look back at Tom Ford’s 90s Gucci items, it’s easy to see why his designs are still appealing even to this day. Earlier this year, Vogue Adria ran an article that said ‘Tom Ford’s Gucci is defining the trends of 2026’ after Hailey Bieber was spotted donning Tom Ford’s vintage Gucci baby-blue dress.
The magazine even went one step further and claimed that Tom Ford’s 90s era has actually never left the building. While fashion styles and trends are indeed cyclical, the way Ford architects his outfits, heavily focusing on scale, structure, and balance, still remains relevant, as the designer always knows how to showcase the feminine body in a tasteful and sensual way.
But Ford’s herculean success also relied heavily on how he dressed the 90s A-list celebrities. Young Gwyneth Paltrow once wore a rich ruby red velvet suit to the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards that, suffice to say, became the talk of the decade, while Madonna wore the same Ford’s satin blue shirt at the same event years later.
There were also multiple Jennifer Lopez looks over the years, like her memorable brown halter dress with a plunging lace-up bodice for Gigli premiere, along with Nicole Kidman’s Grecian-inspired silk satin corset gown for the 2003 Met Gala. And who can forget Halle Berry’s orange-shocking, tight-bodice dress for her Gothika red carpet? They were all made for fashion books.
But Ford’s talent isn’t only reserved for over-the-top sensual looks, as when he dressed Charlize Theron in a shimmering, beaded Gucci gown for her first Oscar win in 2004, everyone was mesmerized by Ford’s ability to create highly feminine looks. This actually also served as one of Ford’s final Gucci looks before his departure to create his own fashion label.
Tom Ford: The Legacy
Given his rise to fame and legacy at Gucci, it should come as no surprise that Tom Ford finally left to establish a brand under his own name, but the reasoning behind it was actually more business-like.
According to Singapore’s Robb Report, the designer and then-Gucci CEO Domenico De Sole left the Italian brand due to control issues. It’s wise to note that during his Gucci days, Ford wasn’t just a designer, but he was also responsible for directing the entire Gucci universe, from creative to visual control, which also included fragrances, advertising campaigns, and even store designs. So, that gives more reason as to why he chose to start his own eponymous brand.
Launched in 2005, the Tom Ford label initially started out by focusing on eyewear, menswear and beauty products (partnering with Estée Lauder), before expanding to high-end womenswear five years later in 2010. His womenswear debut collection was so highly anticipated that fashion insiders were left aghast when Beyoncé made her runway debut for Tom Ford’s Spring/Summer 2011 show.
While his Gucci days were marked with youthful charm and sensuality, for Tom Ford, he pivoted into much more mature, opulent designs with timeless qualities. He even once famously told Vogue magazine that: “In launching my own line, I am allowed to only create products that I believe in. Everything at Tom Ford is steeped in my DNA,” and it clearly showed. There’s still that provocative and bold energy, yet the designs are now refined. Ford replaced his raw-shock runway strategy with more quiet and expensive restraint.
As a brand, Tom Ford is arguably popular for its luxury fragrances and eyewear, but his bespoke menswear suits and tuxedos were also up there. With Brad Pitt repeatedly turning to Tom Ford for custom suits over the years, and Daniel Craig wearing his designs throughout the James Bond films, it’s easy to see why the sharp, structured suits and velvet evening jackets struck a chord with gentlemen who wanted to experience Ford’s high-octane glamour.
And his breathtaking evening gowns are not far behind. From First Lady Michelle Obama, who donned Tom Ford’s white gown for the state dinner at Buckingham Palace, to Gemma Chan’s out-of-this-world Met Gala chainmail costume, Ford kept continuing to up his own ante. He even went on to surprise us with the fuchsia metal breastplate and matching skirt that Zendaya famously donned in 2020 at the Critics Choice Awards.
For nearly two decades, Tom Ford built his namesake label into a global luxury empire before stepping down after Estée Lauder’s acquisition, and the reasoning hit close to home. In 2023, after losing his longtime partner Richard Buckley, Ford decided to step down from his label and focus his passion for cinema more freely, as he told GQ Magazine. Of course, Ford had already successfully made A Single Man in 2009 and Nocturnal Animals in 2016, which both films earned prestigious reviews.
He is now set to direct his third feature, Cry to Heaven, while virtuoso Haider Ackermann has stepped in as Tom Ford’s new creative director. The Colombian-born French designer has already earned widespread praise for his debut collection, and fans can rest assured that he will carry the same DNA as Thomas Carlyle Ford did before.
Shop your own Tom Ford pieces only at MAYFEYR.
Looking for more fashion inspiration? Read below:
Share:
How to Read Fashion Month Without Chasing Every Trend