Thomas Carlyle Ford (born august 27, 1961) is an american fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2006, having previously served as the creative director at gucci and yves saint laurent. Ford wrote and directed the academy award–nominated films a single man (2009) and nocturnal animals (2016). He currently serves as the chairman of the board of the council of fashion designers of america. At age 16, he enrolled at bard college at simon's rock, but quickly dropped out. He moved to new york city to study art history at new york university (nyu). There he met ian falconer, who took him to studio 54 for the first time. Ford dropped out after a year, focusing on acting in television commercials. Ford began studying interior architecture at the new school's art and design college, parsons the new school for design in new york city. He kept visiting studio 54, where he realized he was gay. The club's disco-era glamor would be a major influence on his later designs. Before his last year at new school, ford spent a year and a half in paris, where he worked as an intern in chloé's press office, inspiring his interest in fashion. He spent his final year at the new school studying fashion, but graduated with a degree in architecture.