Tom Ford refused to dress Melania Trump when asked in the past and says his clothes are 'too expensive' for her to wear as First Lady (despite making a custom gown for Michelle Obama)

  • Tom Ford said in an interview on Wednesday that he was asked to dress Melania Trump in the past but turned down the request 
  • When pressed as to why he did not want to work with the former model Ford said: 'Well, she's not necessarily my image' 
  • Ford said he would not dress her now either because his clothes are 'too expensive' for a first lady to wear
  • The designer, who had been a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton during the election, said he would not dress her either if she had taken office 
  • Ford, 55, did dress Michelle Obama in a custom-made gown for a dinner with the royal family at Buckingham Palace back in 2011
  • No price was given for the one-of-a-kind look, but Ford's evening wear tends to cost at least $5,000, with most priced  in the five-figure range

By Chris Spargo For Dailymail.com

Published: 17:34 EST, 30 November 2016 | Updated: 08:36 EST, 1 December 2016

One of America's most talented and iconic fashion designers has revealed that he has no desire to dress Melania Trump in his clothes - and has already refused to work with her in the past.

Tom Ford stopped by The View on Wednesday to talk about his new film Nocturnal Animals, and also spent some time talking about first lady fashion.

'We've got a new first lady, Melania Trump, and she's quite beautiful, and she's thin, she's gonna look great in [your] clothes, no?' host Joy Behar asked Ford at the top of the interview, clearly hoping to learn if Ford would consider working with the former model or had a strict ban.

A hesitant looking Ford paused for a moment before responding to the question, saying: 'I don't know. I was asked to dress her quite a few years ago and I declined.'

He then explained his reason for passing on the offer by stating: 'Well, she's not necessarily my image.'

Ford, 55, then told Behar and the other hosts that he would also not be dressing Melania while she was in the White House, saying his clothes are 'too expensive' for a first lady to wear because they have to 'relate to everybody.'

His designer wears were not 'too expensive' for the current first lady though, who Ford outfitted in a custom-made ivory evening gown back in 2011 for a dinner with the royal family at Buckingham Palace. Ford even threw in a pair of gloves to round out the look.

The price of the dress was never given since it was one-of-a-kind, but Ford's gowns tend to start around $5,000, with many of his evening looks being priced in the five-figure range.

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Pass: Tom Ford said in an interview on Wednesday (above) that he was asked to dress Melania Trump in the past but turned down the request

First lady party: Ford said he would not dress Melaia (left in October) now either because his clothes are 'too expensive' for a first lady to wear (Michelle Obama in Tom Ford on right in 2011)

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'Michelle I dressed once when she was going to Buckingham Palace for dinner with the Queen,' said Ford when asked to comment on some of Michelle's more expensive looks. 

'I thought that was appropriate and I was honored.'

When prodded a bit more about whether Melania should really stop wearing expensive clothes once her husband takes office, Ford simply said: 'I’ll leave that to Melania.'

He also made a point of noting that he would not dress Hillary Clinton if she was in the White House.

Most fashion houses have done their best to not comment about the new first lady and whether they would be willing to dress her, with the exception of Sophie Theallet.

The France-based designer, whose looks have proven to be a favorite of the current first lady's over the past eight years, said in an open letter released after the election that she would not dress Melania and hoped other designers would follow suit.

Little did she know that Ford had been doing just that for years. 

There have been few designers more successful than Ford, who shot to fame back in 1994 when he was named creative director of Gucci.

The house was almost bankrupt at the time he took the reins, and within five years was valued at $4billion.

His edgy looks were a hit with critics as well, and in 1999 he took on a second job as creative director of Yves St. Laurent.

That post proved a bit more challenging at times for Ford, as even though critics loves his lines and profits for the fashion house were up, his work was hated by Yves himself, who was not shy about voicing his distaste for the young designer's hyper-sexualized aesthetic.

Then, in 2004, he walked away from the top post at both houses when questions began to arise about the future of Gucci group and who would be in control.

Opening up: When pressed as to why he did not want to work with the former model Ford said: 'Well, she's not necessarily my image' (Ford and Amy Adams earlier this month in NYC)

Tommy's angels: Ford' designs are popular among A-list stars like his friend and muse Julianne Moore (left in 2016 wearing Ford at the Golden Globes) and Goopster Gwyneth Paltrow (right in 2013 dressed in Prabal Gurung but hanging with Ford)

He enjoyed a few years off before he launched his eponymous line in 2006, which included accessories and beauty products as well as his designs for men and women.  

Ford's womenswear line fast became a hit with A-list celebrities and high-society ladies, who had no problem dropping $11,000 on one of the designer's sequined gowns or a comparatively reasonable $2,200 for a black sleeveless dress.

Ford also did his best to make sure his designs were not overexposed, which may explain why he refused to dress Melania back in the day.

The designer has made a point of never dressing more than one celebrity for major Hollywood events like the Oscars and Golden Globes.

Among those who have been lucky enough to walk the red carpet in a Tom Ford gown are Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts, Resse Witherspoon and Julianne Moore, who along with Tom Hanks' wife Rita Wilson has long been one of the designer's muses.

Ford is so strict about the one dress rule that Hayden Panettiere was forced to go out and drop $10,000 on one of the designer's gowns for the 2014 Golden Globes.

The actress, who was nominated that year for her work in Nashville, said that it had always been her dream to wear one of Ford's creations for a special night, but unfortunately for her the designer had styled Watts for the ceremony.

Ford did later send Panettiere flowers along with a note telling her how beautiful she looked that night.


 

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