Everything a Man Wants; Tom Ford is back from purgatory and making up his own rules, again.(Interview)(Cover story)

Byline: Dana Thomas

In his ten years as creative director of Gucci, American-born designer Tom Ford not only turned luxury fashion into a hedonistic fantasy, he helped take it global and mass-market. Three years ago, after failed contract negotiations with the Gucci Group, he abruptly left Gucci and his post as creative head of Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, and withdrew from the fashion scene. Now Ford's back, and with a new model: bespoke men's wear in a sumptuous setting with impeccable service. He opened his first store on New York's Madison Avenue in April. Earlier this month, he announced his plans for expansion, including stores in London, Paris, Milan and Beverly Hills within three years and another 100 or so franchises worldwide by 2017. NEWSWEEK's Dana Thomas spoke with Ford, who was dressed in a chic charcoal gray hopsack suit and an old white Gucci shirt, at his headquarters in London. Excerpts:

THOMAS: Your new company, Tom Ford, is smaller than Gucci but your plan to roll out stores seems ambitious.

FORD: The trick is maintaining exclusivity while being global. And we do that through quality and service. You want diamond cuff links? We have diamond cuff links. You want prescription eyewear? We'll send you down the street and get your prescription done. You want shoes, slippers, golf clubs, ties, shirts, morning suits, a top hat? It's everything as a man that you could want.

How did you come up with this idea?

When I left Gucci, I really felt like I wasn't coming back to fashion. It took me about six months to realize that there was a big hole in my life not being able to build things or make things. And I thought, I have to find a way to do this again, but I didn't want to do it the same way.

And I literally could not find clothes to wear. If it was fashionable enough, the fabric wasn't good enough, the buttonholes didn't open, the quality wasn't right. ...