Childhood:  Ford was born August 27, 1961 in Austin, Texas to realtors Tom Ford and Shirley Bunton. He spent his early life in the suburbs of Houston, Texas and in San Marcos, outside Austin; his family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico when he was 11. In Santa Fe, he entered St. Michael's High School and later moved to Santa Fe Preparatory School, from which he graduated in 1979. Ford left Santa Fe at age 17, when he moved to New York City to study art history at New York University.

Ford dropped out of N.Y.U. after only a year, preferring to concentrate on acting in television commercials; at one time, he was in twelve national advertising campaigns simultaneously. Ford then began studying interior architecture at New York City’s Parsons School of Design. During his time in New York, Ford became a fixture at the legendary nightclub Studio 54, where he decided to become a homosexual. The club's disco-era glamour would be a major influence on his later designs. Before his last year at Parsons, Ford spent six months in Paris, where he worked as an intern in Chloé's press office. Though his work primarily involved sending clothes out on photo shoots, it triggered his love of fashion. He spent his final year at Parsons studying fashion, but nonetheless graduated with a degree in architecture.

Friends & Relationships: Ford and his partner, journalist Richard Buckley, have been together for over 20 years. Buckley was the former Editor in Chief of Vogue Hommes International.

Noted for his interest in modern architecture, Ford has commissioned houses from the Los Angeles firm of Marmol-Radziner and Associates, the Spanish architect Alberto Campo Baeza, and the Japanese architect Tadao Ando

Work: When interviewing for jobs after graduation, he said that he had attended Parsons but concealed that he graduated in architecture and that his work at Chloe was a low-level public relations position. Despite his lack of experience, Ford called American designer Cathy Hardwick every day for a month in hopes of securing a job at her midprice sportswear company. Eventually, she agreed to see him. Ford worked as a design assistant for Hardwick for two years.

In 1988, Ford moved to Perry Ellis, where he knew both the Robert McDonald, the company's president, and Marc Jacobs, its designer, socially. He stayed at the company for two years, but grew tired of working in American fashion.

Ford would soon have the opportunity to enter the world of European fashion: Gucci, a faltering luxury goods company, was seeking to strengthen its women's ready-to-wear presence as a part of its brand overhaul. Dawn Mello, then the company's creative director hired Ford—then a near-unknown—as the brand's chief women's ready-to-wear designer in 1990. Ford and his long-time partner, fashion journalist Richard Buckley, relocated to Milan that September.

Ford's role at Gucci rapidly expanded: he was designing menswear within six months, and shoes soon after that. When Richard Lambertson left as design director in 1992, Ford took over his position, heading the brand's ready-to-wear, 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. Though Maurizio Gucci wanted to fire Ford, Domenico de Sole insisted that he remain.

In 1994, Ford was promoted to creative director. In his first year at the helm, he was credited with putting the glamour back into fashion introducing Halston-style velvet hipsters, skinny satin shirts and car-finish metallic patent boots. In 1995, he brought in French stylist Carine Roitfeld and photographer Mario Testino to create a series of new, modern ad campaigns for the company. Between 1995 and 1996, sales at Gucci increased by 90%. By 1999, the house, which had been almost bankrupt when Ford joined, was valued at about $4.3 billion.

When Gucci acquired the house of Yves Saint-Laurent, Ford was named the creative director of that label as well. During his time as Creative Director for YSL, Ford won numerous Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards.
His advertising campaigns for the YSL fragrances Opium (with a red-haired Sophie Dahl completely naked wearing only a necklace and stiletto heels in a sexually suggestive pose) and YSL M7 (with martial arts champion Samuel de Cubber in complete full-frontal nudity) have been famous and provocative by pushing fragrance ads to a new level of creativity in artistic expression and commercial impact. Some of his hats for Yves Saint Laurent were created by Prudence Millinery.

In April 2004, Ford parted company with the Gucci group after he and CEO Domenico de Sole, who is credited as Ford's partner in the success story that is Gucci, failed to agree with PPR bosses over creative control of the Group.

Following his departure from Gucci (and YSL), Ford opened the fashion house, Tom Ford. Ford began with accessories; his line of eyewear was the first to become successful. The Tom Ford line now covers Menswear, Beauty, Eyewear, and both Men and Women's Accessories. In 2006, he also established a fragrance line called Tom Ford Beauty. In early 2006, Ford attracted media attention for appearing fully clothed on the cover of Vanity Fair alongside Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson, both nude. Ford's first 'Tom Ford' flagship store opened on April 12, 2007 on New York City's Madison Avenue.

Greatest Achievement: Ford has been recognized by important design and cultural councils worldwide including the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum and TIME.

• 1995: International Award - Council of Fashion Designers of America
• 2000: Best International Designer - VH1/Vogue Awards
• 2001: Women’s wear Designer of the Year - Council of Fashion Designers of America
• 2002: Accessory Designer of the Year Award for Yves Saint-Laurent - Council of Fashion Designers of America
• 2006: Accessory Brand Launch - Accessories Council Excellence (ACE) Awards
• 2008: Menswear Designer of the Year - Council of Fashion Designers of America

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