Tom Ford: before Gucci?

[Alura]

This may be a stupid question but I never found any good info on Ford's pre-Gucci years. I know he was a teacher in NYC, but what was it that caught Gucci's attention? Does anyone have pictures of this period? Such as designs etc... it almost seems that before Gucci there was nothing.

 

[Spike413]

Teacher? From what I've heard he worked with Cathy Hardwick, I think did some time at Perry Ellis and worked behind the scenes at Gucci, never heard anything about him being a teacher though.

 

[Alura]

Sorry, you are right, I misinterpreted something I read and I just re-read it . I don't know how I got those things mixed up haha.

 

[softgrey]

i think he got the job because nobody wanted it...

gucci was the bottom of the barrel at the time...he got a good break...and gucci did as well...

 

[mikeijames]

he did modeling, too, didn't he?

 

[Alura]

i think he got the job because nobody wanted it...

gucci was the bottom of the barrel at the time...he got a good break...and gucci did as well...

Whoever scouted him must have wished for a bonus.

 

[brian]

gucci was the bottom of the barrel at the time...

hard to believe that nowadays. he did a great job.

 

[softgrey]

he did modeling, too, didn't he?

actually...wasn't he trying to be an actor?...i thought i saw a headshot at some point...an old one...but maybe not...i don't really know...

 

[softgrey]

hard to believe that nowadays. he did a great job.

yes..well...he had a great team...

 

[PrinceOfCats]

He has that kind of seedy businessman look that suggests he might have worked as an outdoor burger-flipper cum mafioso on the streets of Milan...

 

[TheSoCalledPrep]

Yeah, Ford had a team in the end, but he worked his *** off so that Gucci could afford that. In the beginning, when he was hired, he and a few assistants were in charge of every aspect of the brand and putting together every show. However, the more successful Gucci became, the less he did.

He took art history at NY University. Then he took architecture at Parsons... and then he finished at Parsons in Paris..

As someone else said, he did work with Cathy Hardwick and also Perry Ellis. A bit after that Gucci heard about him and decided to ship him over to milan... boyfriend and all... and the rest is history, whether we like it or not.

 

[Spike413]

actually...wasn't he trying to be an actor?...i thought i saw a headshot at some point...an old one...but maybe not...i don't really know...

Yes, he was an aspiring actor before going into design, and he did do some modelling while trying to break into acting.

 

[beaverhausen]

I only know he was an actor but not sure how long this was before Dawn Mello got him to come work at Gucci.

 

[dior4ever]

He worked in the Chloe press section too packing boxes mailing letters..

 

[luvkoshi]

this is a cool thread- thanx... a friend of mine was in the very first campaign he did for Gucci & so I was paying pretty close attention... Mario Testino wasn't big then either- they rose together! I have so much respect for what Tom Ford did for that company. It was nothing at that point & he really glamorized it. He's a pop marketing genius & I'm sure, whether it works or not, he'll apply that to the movies. I, for one, look forward to his debut. Don't underestimate this man. He's flawed and does put his foot in his sizable mouth at times, but he's interesting and special. My favorite Tom Ford/Gucci moment was Gwenyth Paltrow in that red velvet suit with the pale blue blouse. He really nailed a moment.