Oh, the sweet smell of success on the horizon...

On April 12th 2005, Aerin Lauder, senior vice president for Global Creative Directions of Estee Lauder, Estee Lauder's new global brand president John Demsey and the legendary world-renowned fashion designer Tom Ford announced a collaboration between Estee Lauder and Tom Ford at a press conference in New York.

The two companies TOM FORD and ESTEE LAUDER have formed a multi-year collaboration. However, the details of their alliance were not discussed.

AFP Photographer Stan Honda captured the moment Ford and Lauder made their announcement that Ford will spearhead the creation of a new limited-edition beauty products line with the cosmetics pioneer, Estee Lauder.

This is the first time the Estee Lauder brand has partnered with an outside fashion designer.

Aerin Lauder said:

Estee Lauder has always partnered with the best talents of every generation.

Tom Ford is a true visionary who instinctively knows what consumers want and how to communicate a strong, style-driven image.

I'm excited to work closely with him to bring his viewpoint into the world of beauty, and the world of Estee Lauder.

A year ago Ford split from the Gucci Group as chief designer and creative director for Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. He was there for fourteen years. Nineteen years ago, Ford began his career in fashion at Perry Ellis.

Since his departure from Gucci and YSL, Ford has been working on his own brand of luxury goods.

The forty-three year-old, who is originally from Texas, is also pursuing a film career in Hollywood.

To date, he has appeared (as himself) in "Zoolander." Rumor has it that he is investing some of his estimated 200 million dollars in wealth in a film production company. His interest? To try his talented hand in directing.

Ford, whose fortune includes several luxury homes in Europe and North America, is also an author.

His signature 384 page book, Tom Ford and his deluxe edition, are a compendium of over 200 photographs and a complete catalogue of his design work for both Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent from 1994 to 2004. The large coffee table book chronicles not only Ford's clothing and accessories designs for both houses, but also explores Ford's grand vision for the complete design of a brand, including architecture, store design, and advertising.

His life work to-date was released last November.

Fortunately for Lauder, Ford is already familiar with fragrances. At Gucci and YSL Beaute he had a hand in a number of their creations.

Tom Ford for Estee Lauder

Ford said at the joint press conference:

This is something I've wanted to do for a long time and now I finally have the time.

For years I was creative director with YSL Beaute. I've also done fragrances with Gucci for quite a long time.

Make up and hair is very key to putting together a fashion collection. It can completely change the mood of a season.

I am delighted to be working with Aerin and John on the creation of the TOM FORD beauty brand.

I am very excited to have Estee Lauder, the world's expert in the field of beauty and prestige fragrance, as my partner.

In Ford's first limited-edition line the legendary designer will draw inspiration from "the beautiful things that Estee herself did in the 60s and 70s."

Ford spoke confidently about his ability to create a demand for his upcoming Estee Lauder fragrance and cosmetic product line. He said:

I have a certain knowledge and experience of working with existing brands, taking things from their past, slightly changing and modernizing and relaunching them.

Estee Lauder will manufacture and distribute the line.

John Demsey, who served as president of MAC cosmetics (an Estee Lauder company), was appointed president of the global Estee Lauder brand in January. He will spearhead the creation and distribution of "Tom Ford for Estee Lauder."

Demsey said the alliance between the Estee Lauder brand and Ford is a pairing of two icons that will "change the way the brand is perceived forever."

He added:

We are thrilled to welcome Tom Ford to the Estée Lauder family.

Tom Ford is a fashion industry icon in the same way that Estee Lauder is a beauty industry icon.

It's a perfect match of luxury, style and beauty which we are confident will resonate with consumers around the world.

We're here today to introduce a new chapter in beauty history.

Ford will be responsible for the design, distribution and advertising of the TOM FORD beauty products.

John Demsey, Tom Ford & Aerin Lauder

Expect to see the first Ford product line launched with Lauder in time for the 2005 holidays.

A more extensive collection with broader distribution will be designed by Spring 2006 followed by the TOM FORD branded products which will begin launching in Fall 2006.

In addition to its own signature line, The Estee Lauder Companies own Aramis, Clinique, Prescriptives, Origins, M.A.C, Bobbi Brown, Tommy Hilfiger, La Mer, Donna Karan, Aveda, Stila, Jo Malone, Bumble and bumble, kate spade beauty, Darphin, Michael Kors, Rodan + Fields, American Beauty, Flirt! and Good Skin and Donald Trump The Fragrance.

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "bold blockbuster brands" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegance, LLC