Designer Departs After Debuting First Collection as Creative Director Last Year
Peter Hawkings, who unveiled his inaugural collection as creative director of Tom Ford in September last year during Milan Fashion Week, is leaving the brand.
“I would like to express my gratitude to Peter for his exceptional contributions to Tom Ford from the very beginning,” said Guillaume Jesel, president and CEO of Tom Ford and Luxury Business Development at The Estée Lauder Companies.
“I want to thank Peter for his collaboration since Tom Ford Fashion became part of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group. Along with his team, Peter has contributed to this important initial phase of development. I wish him all the best in his next chapter,” added Lelio Gavazza, CEO of Tom Ford Fashion.
The brand’s spring 2025 collection will be presented in the Milan showroom in September, and a successor will be announced soon, the company stated on Monday.
Hawkings’ collections received mixed reviews, but he was no stranger to the label. He began working with Ford in 1998 as a menswear design assistant at Gucci and later became the senior men’s designer at the company. He left Gucci in 2006 to join Ford in launching his eponymous brand, overseeing the design and production of menswear and eventually adding accessories, including eyewear, bags, shoes, and jewelry. Hawkings rose to become senior vice president of Tom Ford menswear.
Ford presented his final women’s collection in April last year, and upon Hawkings’ appointment that same month, he praised Hawkings as “an incredibly talented leader with tremendous industry experience,” confident that Hawkings would continue the commitment to high-level design and quality.
Hawkings’ collections aligned with the brand’s aesthetic and vision. However, there is a lot at stake for the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, which manages all of Tom Ford’s fashion business.
Gildo Zegna, chairman and CEO, has emphasized his focus on propelling Tom Ford Fashion to stand among the top 10 luxury fashion names globally.
To achieve this goal, Zegna appointed Lelio Gavazza as CEO of Tom Ford Fashion, bringing over 20 years of experience in global luxury from his role at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Gavazza’s “world-class business acumen,” “track record of strong global leadership,” and “outstanding luxury expertise” across retail management, wholesale distribution, marketing, digital, and key markets, including China, are expected to be invaluable in the brand’s global development.
Tom Ford and chairman Domenico De Sole continued to serve as brand advisers through the end of last year.
The Estée Lauder Companies acquired Tom Ford in November 2022 in a deal valued at $2.8 billion. Under Lauder, Ford’s men’s and women’s ready-to-wear is licensed to Zegna, which previously held the menswear license since around 2006. Guillaume Jesel is Tom Ford’s president and CEO at Lauder.
With the Ford deal, Zegna, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, ventured into new territory. In addition to Ford’s men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, Zegna is now licensed for Ford’s accessories and underwear, fine jewelry, childrenswear, textile, and home design products. Zegna Group handles the end-to-end Tom Ford Fashion business, from collection creation and development to merchandising, production, and retail and wholesale distribution. Marcolin holds the perpetual license for Tom Ford eyewear.
Tom Ford’s fashion operation is expected to create synergies for Zegna, strengthening its womenswear segment. The Ermenegildo Zegna group, which includes Zegna, Thom Browne, and Tom Ford brands, more than doubled its net profit last year, reaching 135.7 million euros compared to 65.3 million euros in 2022, with revenues rising 27.6 percent to 1.9 billion euros.
The Tom Ford Fashion segment generated revenues of 235.5 million euros and adjusted operating losses of 1.7 million euros, mainly due to the 15.6 million euro one-off charges related to the purchase price allocation.