Monday, Apr. 02, 2012
Tom Ford
It may be difficult to remember a day when Gucci wasn't synonymous with luxury, but prior to Ford's arrival as a fresh-faced unknown in 1990, the famed Italian fashion house teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. The Texas-born designer, however, quickly moved up the ranks to become Gucci's creative director in 1994, using provocative and sexually explicit ad campaigns to reinvigorate the aging brand, turning it into the multibillion-dollar powerhouse it is today.
While his other career highlights include stints helming YSL and the launch of his own Tom Ford label in 2004, Ford's preternatural eye for beauty transcends even the runway, most notably in his heralded 2009 directorial film debut, A Single Man.