Who is Richard Buckley?
Richard Buckley was born in 1948, in the United States of America, and is a fashion journalist, best known for being the husband of fashion designer Tom Ford. His husband rose to fame with the launch of his self-titled brand in the mid-2000s, which elevated him to the level of numerous luxury fashion houses.
The Net Worth of Richard Buckley
As of early-2020, Richard Buckley’s net worth is estimated to be over $20 million, earned through a successful career in the fashion industry.
While he’s become a reputed journalist in his field, he probably benefits from the success of his husband as well, as Ford has a net worth estimated to be over $500 million, with the majority of his wealth gained through his fashion brand.
Early Life and Career
Richard’s life was lived away from any media attention for many years. After completing his education, he began working as a journalist in the field of fashion, gathering news, creating features, visiting events, and publishing works surrounding the vast field of the fashion industry. His work was eventually featured by several publications, including “Vogue” “Vanity Fair” and “New York Magazine”.
He closely collaborated with several glamor houses, and held writing positions in several companies. He met Tom Ford sometime in 1986 at a mutual friend’s fashion show. At the time, he was working as the editor-in-chief of “Vogue Hommes International”, the international edition of “Vogue” published in France. Ford was a newcomer to the industry at the time, working with designer Cathy Hardwick. The couple experienced love at first sight, and after a conversation in the elevator, the two began dating. After a month, they began living together and their relationship remained strong.
Disease, Film, and Recent Endeavors
Three years after meeting, Buckley was diagnosed with cancer which came as a surprise to many of his friends and family. The couple didn’t give up hope and began working on various means for him to recover. It took a long time, but after a decade, he declared that he had fully recovered from the disease and it has not returned to him since.
In 2009, he got a bit of mainstream attention after appearing in the film “A Single Man”, which was the directorial debut of his partner, and starred Colin Firth, Julianne Moore and Nicholas Hoult.
It is based on the Christopher Isherwood novel of the same name, telling the story of a college professor who is still haunted by the death of his longtime partner. The film gained positive reviews, particularly noting the performance of Colin Firth as one of its strongest points.
Three years after the film, the couple announced that they were having a child through a surrogate, and their son was born sometime later in the year. Since then he continues to work as a journalist, though doesn’t have the same grueling schedule he did many years ago.
Husband – Tom Ford
Tom Ford initially studied art history at New York University (NYU), though later dropped out to pursue an acting career, after discovering that he was gay, He later found interest in interior design, enrolling at Parsons the New School for Design located in New York. While a student, he took up an internship in Paris and eventually graduated with a degree in architecture. His first job was at Chloe where he worked in public relations. He then began working with designer Cathy Hardwick, who took him in despite his lack of experience in fashion.
In the following years he also worked in Perry Ellis and Marc Jacobs, though he didn’t feel satisfied as the companies were preventing him from fully expressing himself when it comes to creativity in clothing. He moved to Europe where his taste was more appreciated, and began working with Gucci, helping the brand get back on it’s feet, and became Creative Director for the company. He is credited for helping raise the company into a fashion powerhouse. This led to him working in the same capacity for Yves Saint Laurent, which was acquired by Gucci in 1999.
The Tom Ford Brand
In 2004, Tom Ford left Gucci to start a fashion brand, and he launched his label two years later, focusing on accessories, menswear, eyewear, and other beauty products. He promoted both men’s and women’s products, prioritizing strength, culture and intelligence. He quickly gained a huge following, subsequent to his success with Gucci. Many celebrities began endorsing and buying Tom Ford clothes, including Daniel Craig, Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow and Michelle Obama.
He also collaborated with Justin Timberlake for his world tour, designing over 600 pieces in 2013.
He also worked closely with Jay Z, and the endorsement of celebrities brought even more revenue to his brand. In 2019, one of his designs was worn by actress Gemma Chan during the Met Gala.
While he has been successful, he’s also had his share of controversies, particularly the way he uses naked women in ads. He has been accused of objectifying the opposite sex, to which he argued that he’d also want to objectify men, but naked men are generally resented in most parts of the world. Some of his ads have been banned due to sexist implications.
“I think the most important thing is that this thing will go away, that this will pass, that we will survive. Our lives are going to be transformed and our jobs may be transformed, but everyone is talented and we will all be creative again.“ – Tom Ford. #TOMFORD pic.twitter.com/81KjSoofi6
— TOM FORD (@TOMFORD) April 1, 2020
Personal Life
Richard lives with Ford and their child in several locations. They have a home in Italy, and stayed in London for nearly two decades. They also have homes in Los Angeles, New York and Santa Fe, California. Their Santa Fe residence spans 24,000 acres and contains structures that are created to help host Western films. It also contains other structures created by Marmol Radziner. The couple also own smooth fox terriers, dogs that have been seen with them in several events. His husband maintains a vegan diet, though it is not known if Buckley shares the same sentiment.