Tom Ford was born in 1961 in Austin, Texas, USA, and spent his young years in New Mexico. He enrolled in an Art History course at New York University, spending much of his extracurricular time as an actor for TV advertisements, then changed to the architecture course at Parson's School of Design. But, in the end, he decided to work in fashion.

 

That is why, in 1986, he joined Cathy Hardwick's design studio in New York. After two years, he was offered to become a design director at Perry Ellis. 

After that, his career path accelerated, and he became Gucci's creative director in 1994. Under his management, Gucci was able to increase its position in the fashion industry and become an even more desirable brand than ever. His velvet trousers and satin shirts became a part of the new era of sex appeal. 

In January 2000, the Gucci Group bought Yves Saint Laurent, which made Tom Ford design womenswear and menswear for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauchet. Two years later, Ford received an Accessory Designer of the Year Award and also became the vice-chairman of the Gucci Group management board.

He left the company in 2004 to return in one year with his own ''Tom Ford'' brand and opened his first flagship store in New York in 2007.