When I was a little kid, all I wanted to do was to escape what I thought was the country and get to a city. Probably film and television had influenced me so much, I really thought the key to happiness was living a very artificial life in a penthouse in New York with martini glasses.

It's looked down upon to be too stylish. Awards and nominations
Ford has been recognized by important design and cultural councils worldwide including the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum and TIME. Hardwick later recalled the incident: "I had every intention of giving him no hope.

He gained international fame for his turnaround of the Gucci fashion house and the creation of the Tom Ford label before directing the Oscar-nominated film A Single Man.