Ford, Tom (Thomas Carlyle Ford), 1961–, American fashion designer and film director, b. Austin, Tex. After designing for Kathy Hardwick (1986–88) and Perry Ellis (1988–90), he moved to Milan and began working for Gucci, becoming women's ready-to-wear designer and then (1994) creative director. He revived the brand by introducing sophisticated new lines for women and men featuring velvet, satin, and metallic fabrics. When Gucci bought YSL Beauté, owner of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house (2000), Ford introduced provocative advertising and enjoyed new success as the designer of Saint Laurent's ready-to-wear line. After leaving Gucci (2004), he founded his own fashion house (2006). Ford also wrote and directed the films A Single Man (2009) and Nocturnal Animals (2016), both based on novels.
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