Tom Ford Unveils New Cosmetics Ad, Says He’s Not in It Because He’s Vain

Tom Ford, one of the most successful designers of our times, as well as a very sophisticated and handsome man, has also gone into the cosmetics industry with his own line. The ads for Tom Ford Beauty also feature him, but he says the decision to appear in them is not down to vanity.

Call him whatever you want – and he’s probably been called some pretty nasty things along the way, because how outspoken he is – but he’s not vain, he says in a recent interview for WWD (as cited by the Daily Mail).

The decision to appear in the ads for Tom Ford Beauty has actually been prompted by the realization that the line would get better sales if he was also in them, right there next to model Lara Stone.

“I’m not in the ads because I’m vain,” the designer says for the fashion publication. “'A lot of people still don’t know who I am, and the product sells better with me in the ads,” he explains.

Though he seems like a very confident and savvy businessman, Ford says he’s had to fight many preconceptions to get where he is now with his cosmetics line.

“My intention was to do color cosmetics out of the gate, but not everyone else was convinced that I had a voice in color until the lipsticks started selling out again and again,” he says.

Part of the success Tom Ford Beauty is enjoying is probably down to the designer’s honest approach to beauty, which cuts out unnecessary items and emphasizes those that most flatter the face.

“I don’t like B.S. and a lot of promises, and there are a lot of products out there you don’t even need,” Ford says for the same publication.

“You need to understand the face and compensate for the architecture of the face. A nice thick brow is the key to a youthful look,” the designer explains.

Obviously, judging by sales of the cosmetics line, his customers agree: a stripped-down but stylish approach to beauty is best.