玖玖 编注

　　香车宝马、衣香鬓影，是谁成就了世间曼妙女子的不老传说？霓裳翩跹、瞬息万变，谁又是时尚品牌Gucci的秘密武器？Tom Ford，一个被看作感性与不羁的代言词的名字……

　　We choose our men of the time based on their accomplishments in certain areas such as business, sports, and politics. We can't neglect the fashion industry, and if there was one man who can be selected by us to represent his peers, then it is Tom Ford. He is a man who entered the crazy world of fashion and still manages to look sane.<注1>

　　In 1997, when Tom Ford was 35 years old, he was voted by People Magazine as one of the worlds 50 Most Beautiful People. In January 1998, he had his runway debut in the U.S. in Los Angeles for the AIDS Benefit.<注2>

　　Hollywood loved him, the press loved him, and the world's "beautiful people" loved him. With the dawn of the new millennium, Tom Ford has kept his title as the IT Boy of the fashion world. His empire has expanded too, with YSL under his belt plus several fashion houses that Gucci has controlling interest.<注3>

　　So, what does he think of all of this? In a People Magazine interview, he quoted, "In the fashion business, everything is so temporary. Beautiful for three or four months, and then you're tired of it."

　　His reign as King of Cool has definitely lasted more than three months. He has been considered a top designer for five years now, and he has seen profits soar at Gucci. A great accomplishment when you consider that Gucci was faltering when he took over as Creative Director.

　　Last year, he won the much coveted CFDA<注4> Womenswear Designer of the Year and Time Magazine named him the Best American Designer. "People are buying into your dream....To create that world sucks the soul and personality out of a designer. The Gucci stores look like my house. My sofas are in all the Gucci stores all over the world." Tom said.

　　Tom Ford was born in Austin, Texas, but spent most of his childhood years back in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As soon as he became a teenager, he moved to the Big Apple.<注5> Once in New York, he enrolled at the NY University in art history. This study path was soon to be changed as he decided to take up architecture at Parsons School of Design in New York. He later moved on to finish his studies at Parsons in Paris, France.

　　Two years later in 1990, Ford crossed the ocean and moved to Milan, Italy. He joined the team of Gucci as Womenswear Designer. A few years passed, and in 1992, he moved up the corporate ladder of the fashion world and once again took on the role of Design Director. His talent and vision of fashion trends helped him get appointed as Creative Director of Gucci after only two years.

　　Maurizio Gucci wanted to fire Tom Ford in the early '90s because he thought the young designer was too trendy.<注6> But Ford stuck around and became Creative Director of Gucci in '94. His first collection was a tremendous commercial and critical success and managed to turn around the company with a huge jump in profits and fame.

　　The mid-90's were a high time for Tom Ford, as he seemed to win every designer award out there. He is now in charge of Gucci and Yves St. Laurent's design and image, which are among the most prestigious fashion houses in the world. Despite his young age, you can say that Tom Ford has certainly reached the top in his field.

　　Tom Ford seems to be riding high these days as the current poster boy for glamorous fashion designers. Unlike his contemporaries, who tend to be eccentric and over-the-top, Tom is the epitome of calm, cool, and collected sophistication.<注7> His calm demeanor and ready smile make a killer combination with the ladies,<注8> as women adore being around him. We figure it must be the Mr. Sensitive side of Tom that few men can easily tap into.<注9> His greatest asset is the way he handles himself as dignified and professional, unlike the blundering fools we often are.

　　He is a good-looking guy. People might not swing<注10> that certain way, but they are not blind to the obvious. The guy has the look, and women are immediately drawn to him because of it. He is one of the best dressed men in the world. Even with a receding hairline, he comes off with enough style and slickness to supply fashion sense to a dozen mortal men.<注11>

　　If your idea of cool is hanging around the local bar on Saturday night playing darts, then Tom will not be part of your circle of friends. If your idea of cool is being the most prominent person in a room full of world-weary jetsetters,<注12> then he is your man. We rate slickness pretty high in our coolness factor, and Tom happily obliges as Mr. Cool.