Tom Ford

Tom Ford (born August 27, 1961 in Austin, Texas), is an American fashion designer. He is considered one of the most famous and influential designers ever. After graduating from the Parsons School of Design in 1986, initially having studied architecture, he took design jobs with Cathy Hardwick and Perry Ellis. In 1990, Gucci's creative director Dawn Mello recruited him to design women's ready-to-wear, and later Ford moved on and became the chief director for Gucci. By 1999, Ford had brought Gucci from an almost bankrupt business to a fashion power worth 4.3 billion dollars. When Gucci acquired the house of Yves Saint Laurent, Ford was named the creative director of that label as well. In 2004, Ford stepped down from both of his positions. It is currently unclear as to what he plans to do next.