Tom Ford became Gucci’s creative director in 1994.
Ford had already joined Gucci in 1990 as a ready-to-wear designer. In 1994, he was promoted to the top creative role, giving him major influence over the house’s clothing, accessories, advertising, store concepts, and broader brand image.
The appointment came during a troubled chapter for Gucci. The company had suffered from financial difficulties and internal family conflict, so Ford’s arrival coincided with a wider effort to rebuild the business under chief executive Domenico de Sole. His polished, sensual, and often deliberately provocative designs helped make Gucci one of the defining luxury brands of the late 1990s.
Ford remained Gucci’s creative director until 2004. He is sometimes confused with later directors such as Frida Giannini or Alessandro Michele, but neither held the role in 1994. Sabato De Sarno belongs to a much later period. Ford’s Gucci tenure is generally dated 1994–2004, making 1994 the canonical answer to this question.