Tom Ford and Richard Buckley, together for 35 years
Journalist and editor Richard Buckley had an illustrious career for working for various magazines and newspapers around the world including Vanity Fair, Italian Vogue, and Vogue Hommes International.
As one half of one of the most enduring relationships in the fashion industry, he met Tom Ford in 1986 and embarked on a 35-year relationship, including having a son Jack in 2012 before his death last week at the age of 71.
In what is believed to be his final feature, he talked about his life with Ford, who owns a fashion empire worth $500 million.
Ford in his signature look of glasses and suit
‘On our first date, in November of 1986, Tom told me, “In 10 years I will be a millionaire and showing my collections in Europe.” As I already had six years of fashion-industry experience under my belt, I sat there thinking, “Poor thing. He will become so disillusioned when the system chews him up and spits him out. That time, like so many others over the years, he would prove me wrong. He achieved his goal in nine years.”
Did Tom Ford invent the word dapper? No he he did not
He reminisced in great detail about shows in the past: ‘Tom’s first collection post-Dawn, spring-summer 1995, was important because it would be his first solo outing, and his future depended on its being a success. But already, another fashion house, in a mean-spirited move, refused to release the models for Tom—even though its presentation was six hours later than his, and the Camera Nazionale, the Italian fashion council, had given Gucci a crack-of-dawn time slot at Milan’s Fiera. Those who did make it were generally hungover.’
Ford's work spans decades and is considered one of the best men's fashion haus's
Elsewhere in the article he discusses Tom’s work with the all the reverence of a partner: ‘Then, as now, Tom sets a very high standard for beauty, and he works by gut instinct. He sees everything, down to the last detail. I’ve actually never known anyone else with the ability to be so observant or precise. Nothing gets by him. And let’s just say he can be a little imperious in his work, but then he wouldn’t be where he is today if he wasn’t unyieldingly in command. And, although I sometimes hate to admit it, he is always right.’
RIP Richard Buckley 1948-2021