History of Tan France in Timeline

Tan France is a British-American fashion designer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He gained prominence as the fashion expert on Netflix's 'Queer Eye,' host of 'Dressing Funny,' and co-host of 'Next in Fashion.' His memoir, 'Naturally Tan,' was released in 2019. Notably, he is of Pakistani descent and is recognized as one of the first openly gay South Asian men on a major show and one of the first openly gay Muslim men on Western television.

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Full Timeline

April 1983: Tan France's Birth

On April 20, 1983, Tan France was born Tanveer Wasim Safdar in Doncaster, England, to Muslim Pakistani immigrant parents.

2007: Marriage to Rob France

In 2007, Tan France married Rob France, originally in London, and again in New York City.

2008: Moved to the United States

In 2008, Tan France began working in the United States, initially in New York City.

2011: Founded Kingdom & State

In 2011, Tan France opened his own fashion company, Kingdom & State, which included apparel designed to meet Mormon clothing guidelines.

2015: Emigrated to the United States

In 2015, Tan France emigrated to the United States.

2016: Co-founded Rachel Parcell Inc

In 2016, Tan France became co-founder, designer, and CEO of the Rachel Parcell Inc clothing line, which was sold at Nordstrom.

February 2018: Queer Eye Premiere

In February 2018, the rebooted series of Queer Eye premiered on Netflix, marking the beginning of Tan France's role as the fashion expert.

June 2019: Publication of Naturally Tan

In June 2019, Tan France released his memoir, Naturally Tan, through St. Martin's Press, which became an NYT bestseller. It covers his experiences growing up as a gay person in a traditional Muslim family, episodes of racism, and facing Islamophobia.

September 2019: Created Shaded Instagram Account

In September 2019, Tan France created an Instagram account called Shaded to promote Black people, people of colour, and cultural diversity.

2019: Appeared in Taylor Swift Music Video

In 2019, Tan France appeared in the music video for Taylor Swift's song "You Need to Calm Down."

2019: Partnership with Eyebuydirect and GQ Columnist

In 2019, Tan France designed an eyewear line with Eyebuydirect and became a Middle East columnist for GQ.

2019: Discovery about Grandfather's Factory

In 2019, Tan France learned that his grandfather's denim factory allegedly closed due to producing Disney knockoffs.

June 2020: Naturalization as an American Citizen

On June 9, 2020, Tan France was naturalized as an American citizen, gaining dual British and American citizenship.

July 2020: Emmy Nomination

In July 2020, Tan France was nominated for an Emmy alongside his Queer Eye co-stars for Best Hosting of a Reality or Competition Program.

September 2020: Revealed Reason for Moving to the US

In September 2020, Tan France revealed on The Carlos Watson Show that experiencing racism in the UK was a primary reason for moving to the US.

September 2020: MasterClass Instructor Announcement

In September 2020, Tan France was announced as a style instructor on MasterClass.

September 2020: Tan France x Etsy Collection Launch

In September 2020, the Tan France x Etsy limited edition collection was launched, featuring home decor and foods co-designed with independent sellers.

2020: The Great British Bake Off Appearance and Win

In 2020, Tan France appeared in a special charity edition of The Great British Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer, and won the episode.

2020: Express Stylist

In 2020, Tan France became Express's monthly stylist.

2020: Announcement as Co-host of Next in Fashion

In 2020, it was announced that Tan France would be co-hosting the new Netflix series Next in Fashion with Alexa Chung.

April 2021: Announcement of First Child

In April 2021, Tan France announced on Instagram that he and his husband were expecting their first child via surrogate.

July 2021: Birth of First Son

In July 2021, Tan France's first son was born seven weeks early and spent three weeks in the NICU.

2022: Beauty and the Bleach Documentary

In 2022, Tan France presented a BBC Two documentary about colourism titled Beauty and the Bleach.

May 2023: Announcement of Second Son's Arrival

In May 2023, Tan France announced on Instagram the arrival of their second son.

August 2023: Say Yes to the Dress Hosting Role

In August 2023, Tan France began hosting the English countryside-set series Say Yes to the Dress with Tan France.

2023: Looking into Purchasing a Second Home in London

In 2023, Tan France and his husband were considering purchasing a second home in London due to increased work in the UK and a desire for their children to stay connected with their British heritage.