his fordulessness

Tom Ford Asked British Vogue’s Alexandra Shulman if She’d Ever Slept With a Woman

And lived to tell the tale.
And lived to tell the tale. Photo: Michael Tullberg/2010 Getty Images

There were a few mouths left agape at the British Vogue Festival on Saturday when Tom Ford dared to ask editor Alexandra Shulman about her sexual history — in front of an audience of 750 people. The inquiry came after Shulman commented that Ford’s campaigns have featured him posing provocatively with women, despite the fact that he’s “very open about being gay.” Appearing outraged, Ford replied, “I’m not gay, Alex! What made you think that?”

Laughing, Shulman gestured to Ford’s partner of 25 years, Richard Buckley, in the audience, and Ford responded, “Yes, and he’s a man, but we don’t necessarily have to put boxes around everything. Have you ever slept with a woman, Alex?” The answer — amid raucous laughter and a round of applause from the audience — was a swift “no.” Ford later added, “I hate to use the words gay and straight, and I think we’re all on some sort of sliding scale. Of course, I’m at the Richard Buckley end of the scale, but I hate that gay/straight thing.”

Tom Ford Asked Shulman About Sleeping With Women