The American designer gained fame as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, as well as his eponymous label, before he turned his hand to filmmaking and directed the Oscar-nominated 2009 movie A Single Man.
For his latest effort, Ford has made psychological thriller Nocturnal Animals, based on the 1993 novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright, which tells the story of an art gallery owner, played by Amy Adams, who is haunted by her ex-husband Edward Sheffield’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) novel.
And while it would have been easy to include his own designs or products in the mise-en-scene, Ford specifically chose to avoid doing so, in order to increase his credibility as a director.
“Not a single one,” Ford said of his designs being included in the film, according to The Economist. “I want to be taken seriously.”
While many critics have been quick to focus on Ford’s fashion background, the 55-year-old insists that his transition into Hollywood has been “very natural”. In particular, he cites establishing a strong voice in contemporary culture through his popular garments has helped him develop the “similar skillset” required when directing.
“You have to have a vision. You have to have something to say. You then have to then go out and hire very, very talented people to help you. You have to give them space to perform and create. At the same time, you have to guide them towards your own ultimate goal,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nocturnal Animals star Adams has gushed about working with Ford, saying that he taught her a lot during the project. Specifically, she said that he shared tips with her on the sort of poise and demeanour her character required.
“I’m somebody who’s a bit more of an organic creature,” she told contactmusic.com. “I’m not necessarily as poised as this character is. But Tom is very poised, so I used him a lot. He’d be like, ‘Lay on the couch and read.’ I’m like, ‘Okay, well, you lay on the couch and show me how you would read.'”
