Peter Hawkings is stepping down from his role as creative director of Tom Ford, less than a year after assuming the position from the brand’s eponymous founder. This news was confirmed by Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), with a successor yet to be announced.

“I would like to express my gratitude to Peter for his exceptional contributions to Tom Ford from the very beginning,” stated Guillaume Jesel, president and CEO of Tom Ford and luxury business development at ELC. “The Spring/Summer 2025 collection will be presented in the Milan showroom in September 2024.”

Lelio Gavazza, CEO of Tom Ford Fashion, also extended his thanks: “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.”

Hawkings took over the creative helm in September 2023, shortly after Tom Ford’s departure from the brand following its $2.8 billion acquisition by ELC in 2022. Hawkings had been a long-time collaborator of Ford, having worked with him for nearly 25 years, first at Gucci and then at Tom Ford, which was founded in 2005.

Before taking on the role of creative director, Hawkings managed the brand’s menswear operation, based in London, since its launch in 2007. He played a crucial role in integrating the US-based womenswear design studio into the London menswear operation.

Reflecting on Ford’s decision to sell the brand and step down, Hawkings shared with Vogue, “I honestly never, ever thought that Tom would ever sell. I thought he would be one of the Ralph Laurens of the world and continue and continue. So he dropped that bombshell — and then the second bombshell was that he was putting me forward for creative director.”

Hawkings’s unexpected exit has sparked immediate speculation about who might be chosen as Tom Ford’s next creative director. Maintaining the founder’s distinct style of high-octane sensuality while continuing to develop the brand will be a significant challenge for his successor.

In April 2023, it was revealed that Ford had sold his brand to ELC, with his existing partners in beauty, eyewear, and ready-to-wear assuming control. Under the terms of the deal, Zegna Group secured a 20-year license agreement to produce Tom Ford Fashion, with a 10-year renewal option. Gildo Zegna, CEO of Zegna Group, emphasized the importance of their existing relationship with Ford, which began when they produced his tailored menswear during his tenure at Gucci and continued with Tom Ford menswear’s launch in 2006.

Zegna revealed that his company’s ambition for Tom Ford ready-to-wear is to expand its womenswear sales, which accounted for 30% of the brand’s revenues in 2023. The next creative director will likely focus on this direction, with Hawkings’s expertise primarily in menswear.

As the fashion world awaits the announcement of Hawkings’s successor, the challenge will be to ensure continuity and innovation in the brand’s evolution without merely replicating Ford’s iconic style.