Fashion designer Tom Ford was born on August 27, 1961, in Austin, Texas. He studied art history and architecture at New York University's Parsons School of Design. He had aspirations of becoming an actor and appeared in commercials while he was a student. After graduating from Parsons, he joined Perry Ellis as a designer. Although he had not studied fashion, his background at Parsons, one of the world's leading fashion schools, allowed him to be hired without questioning his major. When Perry Ellis tasked him with designing a circular skirt, he didn't know what to do, so he went to a nearby department store to research and submitted a design sketch. Marc Jacobs was also working with him at the time. In 1990, he joined the women's wear design staff at Gucci. In 1994, he became Gucci's creative director and successfully revitalized the brand. In 2000, he oversaw the entire Gucci Group, including Yves Saint Laurent.
In 2004, he left Gucci along with then-CEO Domenico De Sole, and the following year, he founded his own brand, Tom Ford, with him.
Since 2008, he has been designing costumes for James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, in the "007" film series. His stylish suits have become a hot topic, and he was named Men's Designer of the Year by the CFDA that same year.
In 2009, he made his directorial debut with the film "A Single Man." The film received high praise, with lead actor Colin Firth winning Best Actor at the BAFTA and the Venice Film Festival.