American designer Tom Ford is back in fashion and plans to launch his own London-based luxury brand. The former Gucci creative director has joined ex-Gucci Group chief executive Domenico De Sole in his desire to create Tom Ford-entitled brand, reports the British Vogue.

Ford decided to make a break in his fashion career exactly a year ago (April 2004), when he resigned from his position in the Italian fashion empire to try himself in making movies. The fashion guru has told that the break actually has lead him to better understanding of what is going on outside the world of fashion and what it means for average people.

"It's different when you're not in it. One of the things that surprised me is the realisation – which I knew all along but didn't really realise until I stepped out of the business – that a lot of people just don't care about fashion,” he revealed.

“And things, that you think are so-o-o important – sometimes those messages don't reach the consumer, or they don't notice, or they don't care. That's been very helpful to me in considering what I'll do next, because I feel like I've had a real dose of real life by stepping away for a while."

He is going to create a "Tom Ford for Estee Lauder" line of fragrances and beauty products, scheduled to be released by Christmas. The 43-year-old designer also said his future plans include some home goods and menswear collection, and besides, he is still planning to fulfil his film ambitions. A collection of sunglasses under Tom Ford’s name will be produced by Italian eyewear company Marcolin Group.  

Ford will be the president and chief executive officer of the new brand, and his partner Domenico De Sole, 61, will be the chairman of the self-financed company. Mr. De Sole said in his interview to WWD.com: "We'll be doing very specialised products [and are] thinking through more licences and the possibility of directly owned stand-alone stores. The brand is going to be very high-end; and all of the products will be positioned at the level of Chanel and Hermes.

“We want to create the first, true luxury brand of this century. And, as always, we're doing our own thing, developing our own business model. The process started last summer, and we've been looking at this brand from every angle and trying to see what fits and what doesn't. We're going to make this very big, but we're going to build it slowly and at a deliberate pace. There is no outside capital at all in this [Tom Ford] venture, and we're totally in control. We really wanted to do something for ourselves."