This Texan born designer and film director turned around the fortunes of Gucci and YSL and had a huge success with A Single Man. A fixture at New York’s Studio 54, his designs are hugely influenced by the club’s disco-era glamour and his love of all things black and square. Ford met his journalist partner, Richard Buckley, at a fashion show in 1986. They share a love for smooth fox terriers and announced the birth of their son, Alexander Buckley Ford, in September 2012. Of being “gay,” he comments: “I hate that word” but declares that he’ll marry when same-sex marriage is legalised in California. Of Ford, his partner, Buckley, adds: “There’s only one Tom for me.”
Tag: journalism
-
Tom Ford
-
Post-Fordism
The flexible £12.75 million former home of Tom Ford
Number 26 Gilston Road in London’s SW10 is a property that has been on and off the market repeatedly in recent years. On each and every occasion it has been promoted as the “former home of the fashion icon Tom Ford” and though he hasn’t lived there in years, it is still just as he left it.
Designer and film producer Tom Ford 
“The former home of design icon Tom Ford”: 26 Gilston Road, London, SW10 9SS Situated at the end of a terrace on the corner of Priory Walk, one can see why the house appealed to the Texan born designer credited with turning around the fortunes of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Hidden behind a high wall and hedging, 26 Gilston Road is private yet minutes from the restaurants of Old Brompton and Fulham Roads.
This 4-storey townhouse was sold in June 1997 for £2,250,000 and again marketed in 2009 for £8,500,000 through Aylesford. In the time since, it has been available to let at prices ranging from £5,500 to £7,500 per week, but is now back for sale at the extraordinary figure of £12,750,00 through Russell Simpson.
One of the reception rooms, just as Tom Ford left it 
Another of the Tom Ford styled rooms 
A Tom Ford designed bedroom 
The garden of the property is extremely private What explains such a rise during a period of economic downturn? Well, it’s because developers Equilibrium have gained permission to “de-Ford” the house. As is now the trend in London, they have planned a total redesign. Their illustrations incorporate a new sub-basement and as a result the gross internal area will increase from just over 3,700 square feet to just under 5,300 square feet.
Equilibrium’s plans include a vast living-dining-kitchen with a study in the void over. The space is lit by a skylight. 
A cutaway shows the extent of the redevelopment planned 
A view of 26 Gilston Road from the corner of Priory Walk Whilst the layout Tom Ford, himself a graduate in architecture from Parsons The New School of Design, created at 26 Gilston Road was ideal for A Single Man; the new floor plan with 4 bedrooms is much better suited to a family. Ford and his partner, Richard Buckley, announced the birth of their son, Alexander, in September. Perhaps they should put in a bid.
For more information about 26 Gilston Road, London, SW10 9SS, contact Russell Simpson, 5 Anderson Street, London, SW3 3LU. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7225 0277. View a brochure for the property at: http://www.russellsimpson.co.uk/assets/12/06/15/5081/pdf_archive-1.pdf
View Equilibrium’s website at: http://www.equilibriumlondon.com
View Tom Ford’s website at: http://www.tomford.com
-
Playground victims
Sarah Tucker shares the latest of her “playground politics” experiences
My son started at a new school a few weeks back. Five foot eleven, half of him at 13 he is now taller than me.
Journalist and author Sarah Tucker’s son, Tom He was a bit nervous, I cried in the car after I dropped him off and he refused to hug me in public, but that’s normal and natural – the crying and the non-hugging. Seems only yesterday he was three foot nothing and starting infant school. This time is so precious, still even in the teenage years which many parents dread, it’s the last chance to have any semblance of nurturing. I feel I can tell you that.
The other stuff, the negative stuff, well, I’ll leave that to fiction. Because you should never wash dirty linen in public or so the saying goes although it’s become the sure fire way of getting the 1/2 hour of fame. If it’s to sell a book, film or make more money then it has a purpose: a potentially positive end result where others learn from your mistake and you learn from your mistake and it’s not just a matter of ogling you as a loser. If you are doing it because you want to be famous for fame itself, then it has none.
Jeremy Kyle and all the chat shows get the common man to be open and honest about themselves. Celebrities rarely, if ever, are honest, because they realise or fear that the masses wouldn’t like them if they were. Real people don’t have publicists to guide them through the media mire, and lay themselves open to ridicule by laying themselves open.
“The Playground Mafia” by Sarah Tucker So, when I was asked on ITV1’s Lorraine show a few weeks ago to talk about playground politics I was excited. Here was an opportunity to talk about an issue that is relevant not just in this country but globally, the bullying that goes on between mothers. A subject I know a lot about. I have the stats, done the research, written the book, devised the app (Mummy Mafia), rehearsed the stage play but no, they wanted me to talk about my own ‘personal journey’ dealing with playground politics. Nope. Not going to do it. I’ll talk about how to deal with it, Ill talk about the book and the numerous funny, sad, ridiculous anecdotes but as my son is still at school (albeit he’s moved to a new one), there are repercussions.
The TV wanted a ‘victim’ and I wasn’t going to be it, even one that had recovered. In the end, they chose a woman who was prepared to talk about her experience of it.
Sarah Tucker’s son, Tom, as Gollom That week, I saw the mothers from my old school at my son’s school’s superb production of The Hobbit – the production is so good it made the Evening Standard and BBC London News, my son plays a wonderfully dark Gollum) and had a coffee morning with the new mums, who were the usual suspects of the previous playgrounds, I will say no more. Not until my son has left for college or university will I talk directly, but until then the books will always be fictionalised, the interviews about the experience of others and all linen will be washed but under the guise of creative imagination.
Sarah Tucker is an award winning travel journalist, novelist, producer and broadcaster. She has edited, produced and presented her own radio and TV series as well as presenting reports for BBC Holiday Programme and anchored I Want That House on ITV. She is the author of best selling novels The Playground Mafia (short listed for the Good Housekeeping book of the year 2007) The Battle for Big School, The Last Year of Being Single, and The Control Freak Chronicles.
For more information about Sarah Tucker, go to: http://www.sarahtucker.info
Buy The Playground Mafia on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playground-Mafia-Sarah-Tucker/dp/0099498456/ref=sr_1_7/202-9265101-5575054?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193856472&sr=1-7
Follow Sarah Tucker on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/madasatucker
-
Playground Mafia
Award winning journalist, presenter and novelist Sarah Tucker examines the mafia of the playground
It’s getting worse. I wrote the (fictional) novel The Playground Mafia in 2006 and since then have had requests for interviews and emails from all over the world where men and women have got a hold of the book somehow and told me how they feel now they are not alone.
The Playground Mafia by Sarah Tucker The last time I was contacted was a month ago by a journo from The Daily Telegraph who asked me my opinion on two celebrities in Putney who were hitting each other in the playground because of protractors. Protractors? Aren’t they the things in maths class? I made a comment about these women should get a life. She printed it verbatim. In fact she printed my whole interview verbatim and called it her article.
So I’ve decided to spread the words of wisdom to you, as I’ve been contacted from all four corners of the globe (I even have a following in Japan) by mothers, grandmothers, the well heeled, the seriously seedy about all things playground politic and mummy mafia which would make those in Westminster cower with fear. They are all mummy’s boys after all.
Of course there was playground politics in my mother’s day but it was blown out by the war. What did you care then if your child got into the wrong school? The wrong school meant one that was in the line of fire and got bombed while your child was in it.
I know women who have slept with the headmaster to get their child into the school and wanted to sue when they have still been rejected (they weren’t very good obviously) and father’s who have used financial blackmail to make sure their child will be made head boy (at the time a “well respected” banker but I don’t think there are any now).
There are cliques of women, the sweaty bettys (gym bunnies usually with much older husbands), the startled rabbits (botox freaks), the mafia, the second wives club, the mean midgets (short women are like short men but have bigger chips), the single mums, the unhappily marrieds, the earth mothers, the career mothers, the dog lovers, the spiritual healers, the crummy, slummy, chummy, schtummy, plummy, yummy mummies.
Everyone wants to be a yummy mummy. But even they have a dark side. When pushed too far they don’t get even. They just write a column.
Sarah Tucker is an award winning travel journalist, novelist, producer and broadcaster. She has edited, produced and presented her own radio and TV series as well as presenting reports for BBC Holiday Programme and anchored I Want That House on ITV. She is the author of best selling novels The Playground Mafia (short listed for the Good Housekeeping book of the year 2007) The Battle for Big School, The Last Year of Being Single, and The Control Freak Chronicles. For more information, go to: http://www.sarahtucker.info
Buy The Playground Mafia on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playground-Mafia-Sarah-Tucker/dp/0099498456/ref=sr_1_7/202-9265101-5575054?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193856472&sr=1-7
Follow Sarah Tucker on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/madasatucker
-
Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff is a titan of the stage and a might with a pen. He’s best known for playing the darkest of characters but in reality he’s charm personified. Berkoff beat Julie Burchill in a libel case in 1996 and finds it “flattering” to play evil characters. He lives on the river in a converted warehouse in Limehouse with his delightful partner, the Danish pianist Clara Fischer, and often sports the snazziest loafers in town. -
Michael Savage (born Michael Alan Weiner)
The Savage Nation radio host calls himself an “independent-minded individualist” who “fits no stereotype.” (more…) -
Su-Lin Ong
A food and drinks marketing guru who: “Travels to all ends of the earth for the sake of more than just nourishment.” An award winning connector and PR pro, here is a lady with an encyclopedic knowledge of bars and restaurant second to none. Parties at her home are renowned for the fine food that she creates as well as the wonderful cocktails that she mixes. -
Suzanne Moore
This feminist daughter of a working class Tory is a lady who is truly independent. She votes with her feet and resigned from the New Statesman in disgust that Alastair Campbell was allowed to guest edit an issue. Honest and forthright, Moore stood in the 2010 General Election as an independent stating: “Vote for me, I’m flawed” in an interview for The Guardian. She secured 0.61% of the votes cast. Like her or loathe her, you cannot miss her. -
Nicolas Niarchos
Born in New York in 1989 and the grandson of “The Golden Greek,” shipping tycoon Stavros Niarchos, Nicolas Niarchos writes for The Guardian, The Observer and The Huffington Post and is now based in London. He’s variously also been a DJ, editor and publisher and in his spare time he’s said to like spicy vegan food and tobogganing. His tweets @PerneInAGyre are nothing but direct. -
James Murdoch
Considered by many as the pretender to the fortune of his father, Rupert, the phone hacking scandal may have put paid to that. He dropped out of Harvard to start a hip hop label named Rawkus and even gave an airing to a then little known Eminem. Here’s a rebel, complete with two tattoos, who, like a phoenix from the ashes, will undoubtedly rise again.