Tom Ford Exits Eponymous Label, Appoints New CEO & Creative Director

Tom Ford has taken his final bow as creative director for his eponymous label, and in its wake, the fashion house has just announced who will be stepping into his shoes. The move comes after a US$2.8 billion sale of the brand to Esteé Lauder.
 
The position will be handed over to Peter Hawkings, who, up until recently, has served as Senior Vice President of Tom Ford menswear. The Tom Ford label includes a menswear, womenswear, and accessories collection, all of which Hawkings will oversee. 
 
However, looking back at the fashion house’s history and Ford’s career, he started by joining Gucci in 1990, where he worked his way up and was eventually named creative director in 1994. His hand in Gucci’s history led to the revival of the brand and its pivot into more provocative and glamorous designs.

While working at the Italian label, Hawkings joined Ford as a menswear design assistant and eventually went to join Ford in the creation of his own line in 2004 and has since worked with him. “In Peter Hawkings, the brand has found the perfect Creative Director,” said Tom Ford.
 
In addition to a new creative director, the role of CEO will now be taken over by Guillaume Jesel after the departure of Domenico de Sole, the brand’s co-founder. W Magazine notes that Jesel has led the brand’s beauty line since 2014 and played a significant role in building it into what it is today.

It is thought that with his move into the CEO role, there will now be a more substantial focus on the makeup portion of the business, especially as Esteé Lauder is also stepping in. Esteé Lauder will be in charge of the cosmetics and fragrances. At the same time, Emiglia Zegna, an Italian menswear group, will be responsible for the men’s and women’s clothing lines and has secured a 30-year licensing deal that allows it to use the Tom Ford brand and trademark.
 
 
 
[via The Guardian and W Magazine, Photo 103747086 © Starstock | Dreamstime.com]