Famed for his turnaround of the Gucci fashion house, Tom Ford singlehandedly transformed a company verging on the edge of bankruptcy into one worth nearly $4.3 billion. Having clashed with bosses over creative control of the group, Ford left Gucci in 2004 and set up his own label, starting with accessories and sunglasses; Brad Pitt, Lindsay Lohan, Madonna and Jennifer Aniston are all fans. Having moved into menswear, Ford finally opened a flagship store on Madison Avenue, New York, with more set to follow in London, LA, Tokyo and Milan. One of Ford's most famous moments, perhaps, is when he stepped in to replace actress Rachel McAdams in a 2006 Vanity Fair shoot (below). McAdams refused to strip for the shoot with Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson, but Ford had no problem cuddling up to two of Hollywood's hottest beauties. Set to move into women's clothing, world domination is only a stone's throw away for the stubbled icon.
www.tomford.com / Images: Tom Ford