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Peter Hawkings Exits Tom Ford In Yet Another Leadership Shake-Up
"Desire is what makes the world go round, and Tom Ford is synonymous with desire."
This was how Peter Hawkings described his mission as creative director one year ago, tasked with carrying forth Tom Ford’s inimitable style. Who better to continue the legacy than Ford’s right-hand man for 25 years? Yet, only a year later, Hawkings is leaving the position.
The label’s Spring-Summer 2025 collection, his final show for the brand, will be presented in September in Tom Ford’s Milan showroom rather than on the runway. There is still no successor in sight.
Tom Ford personally recommended Hawkings for the role when he decided to leave his eponymous label in 2023. Ford had sold the brand to Estée Lauder Company for a substantial sum, while the Zegna Group secured a 20-year license agreement to produce Tom Ford Fashion, with a 10-year renewal option. Zegna had already been producing Ford’s menswear since 2006- you could say the brand stayed in the family.
Hawkings was no stranger either. Straight out of Central St. Martins, he joined Ford at Gucci, rising to senior menswear designer. He was one of the first employees Ford took with him when he created his label in 2005. From 2007 until Ford’s 2023 exit, Hawkings ran the brand’s menswear operations in London.
Hawkings had a profound understanding of the brand, Ford’s vision, and design references. Working alongside Ford for so long, he absorbed the design habits and processes.
Ford’s own choice, Hawkings even mirrored Ford’s style, donning the well-known tinted sunglasses. However, iconic figures have an indescribable ‘je ne sais quoi’ that can’t be taught or emulated. Hawkings needed to find his own identity.
Tom Ford is known for infusing sexiness, glamour, and hedonism into every brand he touched, like the jaw-dropping 1997 logo G-string for Gucci. Hawkings approached these themes too, but in his own way.
“Sexiness is subjective, and my vision of sexiness is probably more subtle than Tom’s,” Hawkings remarked.
Hawkings debuted his first show in Milan, deviating from the brand’s usual New York presentations. Since the clothes are produced by Italian group Zegna, it made sense to bring the show closer to the concept of great Italian craftsmanship.
He paid tribute to Ford’s glory days at Gucci in the late 1990s with micro-shorts, hip-hugging skirts, plunging necklines, unbuttoned shirts, and sheer dresses. Sensuality was the focus, with glossy leather, velvet, and satin silk dominating jackets and suits.
This era of Tom Ford was powerful, not through loud patterns or ostentatious clothing, but through sleek, tailored, sexy clothing. Simple, yet effective—or rather, hot as hell.
Men and women walked the runway together, their looks coordinated like a power couple. Hawkings aimed to unify the men’s and women’s collections, showing consistency between seasons. Previously, Ford had worked on womenswear in LA while Hawkings focused on menswear in London, creating a disconnect.
For Autumn/Winter 24, Hawkings turned his attention to the lucrative outerwear market, highlighting military-inspired peacoats, plush bombers, and leather trenches over the typical jaw-dropping suits and evening gowns.
Hawkings maintained Ford’s sleek style with consistency, but critics argue he played it too safe, likening his style to the label’s perfume “Vanilla Sex”. Tom Ford was more provocative, with collections varying significantly and taking more risks.
Hawkings, meanwhile, retained the best and most recognizable codes of Tom Ford, stripping away pomp and patterns to reveal sexy yet sophisticated minimalism. This approach is somewhat akin to Sabato De Sarno’s strategy with Gucci, reversing the maximalism introduced by Alessandro Michele.
Perhaps he did play it safe, but what can you prove with just two runway shows? Hawkings didn’t have enough time to fully realize his vision.
Having run the menswear department for years, he had already established some of his own codes, such as the handmade buttonhole on the lapel and an obsession with details and craftsmanship—and that’s what he aimed to bring to the women’s collections too.
Hawkings did a commendable job and began to achieve his goals. Following Tom Ford is a daunting task, especially since the brand is closely tied to Ford’s image. Like other brands born from iconic figures, maintaining the brand’s authentic image can be challenging without the original creative force.
Why leave so soon? Zegna's main goal for Tom Ford ready-to-wear is to boost womenswear sales, which accounted for 30 percent of Tom Ford International's revenues in 2023, while menswear contributed two-thirds of the sales.
Although the makeup, eyewear, and perfume lines are the most profitable, the apparel segment has been lagging behind. Hawkings, being a menswear expert, might have prompted the search for someone with more experience in womenswear. Or maybe Hawkings is just ready to step out of Tom Ford’s shadow.
Hawkings provided continuity in a brand undergoing significant change. Now, with his departure, there is uncertainty, and everything is up for grabs.
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