Who Is Tom Ford’s Husband? Richard Buckley, Marriage Timeline, and Son Explained

If you’re asking, “Who is Tom Ford’s husband?” the answer is Richard Buckley, a respected fashion journalist and editor who shared a decades-long partnership with Ford. They were together for 35 years, married in 2014, and welcomed a son in 2012. Richard Buckley passed away in 2021, and Ford has since spoken about the depth of their bond in a way that makes their story feel both glamorous and quietly human.

Tom Ford’s husband was Richard Buckley

Tom Ford’s husband was Richard Buckley—an American fashion journalist known for his sharp editorial eye and long career in fashion media. While Tom Ford became a global household name through design (and later directing), Buckley built his reputation in the industry’s publishing world, working behind the scenes where taste is judged in whispers, not spotlights.

Even though Ford’s fame often pulls all the oxygen out of the room, Buckley was never a “mystery man.” In fashion circles, he was his own force: experienced, well-connected, and deeply knowledgeable about the industry’s history and personalities.

Who was Richard Buckley?

Richard Buckley was a fashion journalist and editor whose bylines and roles placed him in the center of an era when magazines still shaped what the world thought looked good. Over the years, he worked with major publications and held leadership roles, including a stint associated with men’s fashion editorial leadership (often noted in biographies and industry retrospectives).

His public profile wasn’t built on celebrity-style visibility. It was built on credibility. People in fashion knew him because he understood fashion—how it moves, who drives it, and which moments are real versus manufactured.

That temperament—observant, editorial, precise—also shows up in how Tom Ford has described him: as someone who noticed everything, down to the smallest detail. That kind of personality can be rare in any relationship, but it’s especially powerful when your life is built around aesthetics and execution.

How Tom Ford and Richard Buckley met

Tom Ford and Richard Buckley met in 1986, in a way that feels almost too perfect for a couple whose world revolves around style: at a fashion event in New York. The story is often told as a “love at first sight” moment, including a famous elevator anecdote—Ford seeing Buckley and immediately feeling something click.

What makes their meeting stand out isn’t just the setting. It’s the speed of certainty. Plenty of people meet at glamorous events and forget each other by morning. Ford and Buckley met, connected, and then built something that lasted longer than most careers.

And remember: this was the late 1980s, when being openly in a same-sex relationship carried more risk and scrutiny than it does now. Their decision to build a life together wasn’t just romantic—it was also brave and deeply committed.

How long were Tom Ford and Richard Buckley together?

They were together for 35 years. That number alone explains why people keep searching “Tom Ford’s husband” even years after Buckley’s death. Their relationship wasn’t a short chapter. It was the backbone of Ford’s adult life—spanning his rise, his peak years, and his reinvention across multiple fields.

In practical terms, their partnership covered everything: the pressures of building a luxury brand, the relentless pace of fashion seasons, the public attention that comes with success, and the quieter private seasons that never make headlines.

Longevity like that doesn’t happen by accident. It usually comes from a shared rhythm: two people who understand each other’s work, protect each other’s private life, and don’t treat the relationship like a public performance.

When did Tom Ford and Richard Buckley get married?

Tom Ford and Richard Buckley married in 2014 in a private ceremony. That detail is important because many people assume a couple together since 1986 would have married earlier. But legal marriage equality in the U.S. evolved over time, and many couples who had already built long lives together chose to make it official later—once it became possible and meaningful on their terms.

They didn’t turn the wedding into a spectacle. That fits their style as a couple: visible enough to be real, private enough to stay protected. Even when Tom Ford’s career placed him under constant public attention, their relationship remained relatively insulated from tabloid chaos.

Did Tom Ford and Richard Buckley have children?

Yes. Tom Ford and Richard Buckley had one son, Alexander John Buckley Ford, born in September 2012 via gestational surrogacy. He’s often nicknamed “Jack.”

Parenthood added a new dimension to Ford’s public identity. For years, he was primarily framed as designer-director: immaculate suits, cinematic campaigns, razor-sharp taste. Becoming a father revealed a softer layer—still controlled and private, but noticeably more grounded.

They also made a clear choice: raise their child with boundaries. You won’t see endless public content of their son’s daily life. That’s intentional. When you’re famous, the easiest way to keep a child safe is to keep the child out of the public machine.

What was their family life like?

From the outside, their family life appeared structured, elegant, and quietly normal in the ways that matter: routines, parenting decisions, and protecting home as a refuge. Even though Tom Ford’s work is public and high-profile, their approach to personal life wasn’t “look at us.” It was “this is ours.”

In interviews and profile-style coverage over the years, the couple has been associated with living between major creative hubs and quieter places—balancing the demands of industry life with the need for real privacy. For a family, that kind of split can be a survival strategy: you can’t live at full volume forever, especially when raising a child.

Why Richard Buckley mattered so much to Tom Ford’s career

It’s easy to treat a spouse as a footnote to a famous person’s story. With Tom Ford and Richard Buckley, that would be a mistake. Buckley wasn’t just a supportive partner; he was someone who understood the creative world at a professional level.

When you live with an editor, you live with someone trained to see what works and what doesn’t. Editors notice inconsistencies. They notice the missing piece. They notice the moment something becomes self-indulgent instead of sharp. That kind of feedback—when it comes from someone you trust—can be priceless.

Ford has described Buckley as intensely observant. In a career built on precision, having a partner who sees everything can feel like both a mirror and a compass. It’s not hard to imagine Buckley as the person who could tell Ford the truth when everyone else was just applauding.

When did Richard Buckley die?

Richard Buckley died on September 19, 2021, after a long illness. Reports described him passing peacefully at home with Tom Ford and their son nearby.

His death made headlines because their relationship had become one of fashion’s most enduring love stories—especially in an industry that often feels fast, ruthless, and disposable. The public reaction wasn’t just celebrity interest. It was genuine grief from people who had watched them stay together for decades.

After Buckley’s passing, the language used to describe Tom Ford shifted naturally: from “husband” to “late husband,” from “partner” to “widower.” That’s why the question “Who is Tom Ford’s husband?” has two answers depending on tense: he was married to Richard Buckley, and Buckley is no longer living.

Was Tom Ford married to anyone else?

No publicly documented marriage is as central and confirmed as Tom Ford’s marriage to Richard Buckley. When people search “Tom Ford husband,” it overwhelmingly points to Buckley for a reason: he was Ford’s long-term partner, spouse, and co-parent, and their relationship is the defining partnership of Ford’s personal life.