Tom Ford lost touch with the ground?

In the December 2007 issue of Vanity Fair magazine, PPR's ceo, Francois Pinault, and Serge Weinberg, Pinault's business partner slam Tom Ford, Vogue UK reports

PPR's ceo, Francois Pinault, says "But it would have been better if I'd have hired [Ford] ten years earlier."

With reference to Ford's ego, Serge Weinberg, adds: "He'd lost touch with the ground. He had no experience of management on this scale."

Tom Ford responds

"It is amusing that Serge says he had 'no experience of management of this scale' as it was precisely our management of the company for 14 years that built Gucci Group into the company that it is today," he retorts. "As for my ego, I am afraid Serge is confusing that with my job description, which was to guard and maintain the integrity of the brand and to protect it from exploitation for short-term benefits. Serge was a fish out of water at Gucci Group, as he had absolutely no experience in the fashion or luxury-goods sector. He is a nice guy, but had no understanding whatsoever of our business. He was a bit surprised, I think, when I challenged his knowledge of things, which I often did."