December 13, 2016
Tom Ford at the 2016 Met Gala
Fashion designer Tom Ford has been nominated for two Golden Globes for his directorial debut, but his fragrances were included in gift bags sent to judges.
Mr. Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals,” starring Hollywood A-listers such as Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal, recently hit select screens nationwide and has received rave reviews. When the Golden Globe nominees were announced, Nocturnal Animals received three nominations with Mr. Ford being nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay while Aaron Taylor-Johnson was selected as Best Supporting-Actor.
Nocturnal nepotism
Focus Pictures, the production company behind Mr. Ford’s cinematic venture, included two bottles of Tom Ford fragrances in gift bags sent to members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).
Members of HFPA, who vote on nominations for the Golden Globes, were gifted a men’s and women’s Tom Ford-branded fragrance, causing some to accuse Focus Pictures of trying to sway favor in Nocturnal Animals’ direction.
In addition to accusations of slight nepotism, the fragrances, a license of Estée Lauder Cos., have a combined retail value of several hundred dollars. Recently, the HFPA introduced a new gifting rule stating no item can be worth more than $95.
Tom Ford Beauty, including its fragrances, has become a billion-dollar brand. It has been estimated that Tom Ford Beauty sales reached $500 million when the 2016 fiscal year ended June 30. If that trajectory continues through 2020, Estée Lauder Cos. will have a brand with $1 billion in sales within its stable (see story).
Nocturnal Animals - Official Trailer - In Select Theaters November 18
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