Tom Gormer, 44, is a highly accomplished photography director at Stylist magazine. He is best known for his collaborations with high profile celebrities such as Kylie Minogue and the Clintons. Recently, he experienced a ‘full circle’ moment when he stepped into the magazine room at the University of Gloucestershire. Chuckling to himself with a compelling smile, he admits, “it’s weird being back at the university”. Proudly, Gormer spreads out a kaleidoscopic array of magazines on the table counter and unscrews the lid of his water bottle, ready to take me through the lens of his career.
“I hated being a student. I studied at Pittville doing photography, but I just wanted to make magazines-It was always what I wanted to do. Having a goal helped me because I knew what I wanted to do.” Since graduating, Tom has been actively working in the magazine world but expresses it wasn’t always easy. “I wanted to get work experience at a magazine, and I was hoping I would then be offered a junior role- I was, and I worked at Marie Claire for eight months. At the weekends I would work at Argos all the way until I got a full-time job. Overall, I have worked at Argos, Marie Claire, and currently, Stylist- I don’t like change and that’s one of my faults.”
He has been a part of Stylist since its birth in 2009. He recognises that the establishment of Stylist was his ‘big break’ during his career in the realm of magazines. “Working at stylist was huge for me. It was a brand-new magazine, and we didn’t know if it would be a success. We didn’t have anyone for the first cover when we launched, so it was a huge gamble.” He adds with a giggle, “It was refreshing to work at a magazine that had good morals- we don’t use paparazzi pictures, we don’t cover diets or surgeries. It was up in the air, and we didn’t know if we were going to fail- but we didn’t!”
Tom emphasises the importance of organisation when at a photoshoot. “I make a shoot happen. I book the studio, the hair, makeup, nails artist, and our fashion team will style it. Some celebrities have their own hair and makeup artists, so they will want to use their own people. Sometimes, we try persuading them not to use their people because some are really bad. I’m like the time police because studios are strict and expensive.”
Fantasists envision that working for a magazine will be full of glamour as depicted on television. However, Tom Gormer provided a realistic glimpse into the dynamics of the industry. “The whole editorial teams have a production meeting, and we go through what every team is up to. For the magazine team, which I predominantly work for, we go through that month’s issue. It’s like a tick list. We do that every day and it can get quite boring when it’s the beginning of the month with not much happening- by the end of the month it’s like chaos.” Smirking, he joked that “It’s kind of like a way to name and shame people who haven’t done things”, as he burst into hysterics.
Working with magazines meant that meeting celebrities would be inevitable. From actors such as Gillian Anderson, to political figures like the Clintons, Gormer has seen it all. “We went to New York to do the shoot with the Clintons. We took off on the Monday morning and on the Tuesday, we didn’t know where the shoot was going to be. It was like a school project, amateur because we were making it up as we went along.” Grinning, he added that the Clinton photoshoot made his mum incredibly happy. “My mum said she was so proud of me for doing it, so it paid off in the end.”
Grasping a magazine from the table, he smiled to himself, gesturing toward the cover star- Kylie Minogue. Fueled by his personal admiration for her, he said that she marked an unforgettable moment in his career. “It was her 25th year of being Kylie. We did 25 outfits made by 25 different designers. At the time that was very ambitious as it was a weekly magazine. Kylie said to us, ‘I will do it but I’m on holiday in LA. You are going to have to fly out to me and I will do a three-day shoot.’ It was a beautiful portfolio.”
Working with magazines meant that meeting celebrities would be inevitable. From actors such as Gillian Anderson, to political figures like the Clintons, Gormer has seen it all. “We went to New York to do the shoot with the Clintons. We took off on the Monday morning and on the Tuesday, we didn’t know where the shoot was going to be. It was like a school project, amateur because we were making it up as we went along.” Grinning, he added that the Clinton photoshoot made his mum incredibly happy. “My mum said she was so proud of me for doing it, so it paid off in the end.”
Grasping a magazine from the table, he smiled to himself, gesturing toward the cover star- Kylie Minogue. Fueled by his personal admiration for her, he said that she marked an unforgettable moment in his career. “It was her 25th year of being Kylie. We did 25 outfits made by 25 different designers. At the time that was very ambitious as it was a weekly magazine. Kylie said to us, ‘I will do it but I’m on holiday in LA. You are going to have to fly out to me and I will do a three-day shoot.’ It was a beautiful portfolio.”
Putting his glasses back onto his face, he beamed as he gave advice to aspiring students. “I would say have a goal and work towards that until you achieve it. Sometimes you might have an idea, but it won’t exist, so draw it. However small, keep hold of your ideas as it may be the gateway to your career in magazines.”
