Peter Hawkings - Designer

[tourbillions]

they should look into hawkings for celine if hedi leaves. i think he will do well with continuing what hedi started and slowly developing it into his own like anthony for sl.

 

[chriswiles]

]Show us! 🔪🔪🔪

I can't share items like that publicly, for obvious reasons, but if you ask any Tom Ford contact, they are allowed to share privately.

I've attached 3 looks grabbed from the SS25 look book. Quite a departure for sunglasses - the same styles across the entire SS25 looks...

 

[rowjellies]

The Zegna brand itself is on the rise, as never before.

Exactly. Thank you. Zegna brand itself is doing extremely well. Better than Thom Browne. Due to the “quiet luxury” movement. They are like an alternative to Loro Piana.

 

[tourbillions]

for me zegna is a has been now its all about loro and bruno. rather go for tods honestly.

 

[chriswiles]

for me zegna is a has been now its all about loro and bruno. rather go for tods honestly.

I don't really take any notice of Zegna - I don't understand the menswear and think it's a little too expensive. The brand just doesn't give me any joy either.

I also buy Brunello and Loro, but still purchase TF too.

 

[rowjellies]

for me zegna is a has been now its all about loro and bruno. rather go for tods honestly.

Zegna is “cooler” right now among guys. Because of Kieran Culkin/Succession and their collabs with Fear of God and The Elder Statesman.

Loro Piana is a different vibe. It’s all bout nature, nobleness, and purity. It’s not as “cool” or “young” but it doesn’t need to be either.

 

[tourbillions]

i just hope they bring back my favorite perfume, their florentine iris.

 

[tricotineacetat]

they should look into hawkings for celine if hedi leaves. i think he will do well with continuing what hedi started and slowly developing it into his own like anthony for sl.

I think that would not at all be a bad idea, I actually like it better than to have this guy who was previously with Phoebe Philo, in hopes to go back to the Céline of before.

 

[george5]

I'm a bit late but my god, watching Tom becoming that bitter and grumpy old man that he swore he would never be is one of the sweetest plot twist I've seen in fashion ever. I wonder if Peter already got several "You destroyed my brand!!" handwritten letters

 

[fenty]

Peter couldn't design one sickening heel hell yeah I'd be bitter too

 

[LadyJunon]

I'm a bit late but my god, watching Tom becoming that bitter and grumpy old man that he swore he would never be is one of the sweetest plot twist I've seen in fashion ever. I wonder if Peter already got several "You destroyed my brand!!" handwritten letters

"In 12 minutes, you've destroyed 30 years of my career!"

 

[reese06]

Peter couldn't design one sickening heel hell yeah I'd be bitter too

Neither could Tom, at least in the last ten years.
Anything outside of the padlock sandals, has not been sickening unless you go back to like spring 2013 gladiator boot sandals.

I am so bitter for some reason about his being let go. Lol

 

[chriswiles]

I'm a bit late but my god, watching Tom becoming that bitter and grumpy old man that he swore he would never be is one of the sweetest plot twist I've seen in fashion ever. I wonder if Peter already got several "You destroyed my brand!!" handwritten letters

No way has Peter "destroyed the brand". That's just silly. We're mostly in agreement that his collections were actually reasonable/decent and certainly a continuation - see the few SS25 images I posted above.

But, I do agree Tom Ford himself might be getting anxious (with Zegna) as any direction does reflect on him personally and his ambitions.

 

[Lola701]

I don’t have the feeling that the Hawkings/Tom Ford situation is nowhere near the Valentino or YSL situation…

Hawkings was chosen by Tom.
He did his collection, Tom liked it but wanted more fashion, more of a strong statement.
He didn’t liked the narrative installed by Hawkings regarding the creation of Tom Ford menswear and that’s it.

The Tom/YSL situation was a lot more complicated, it had a financial layer as it was around the question of the acquisition of YSL.

Berge/YSL played the seduction game all before the acquisition happened. Ford presented the resort to them, then the show with Bergé in the attendance…
Domenico de Sole made comments regarding the way the house was handled financially and from there, it was war.

Valentino didn’t liked Facchinetti. He didn’t liked that she didn’t went to the archives…etc.

I don’t think Tom is that insecure.
After all, he made the decision to sell and chose his successor. He totally had the opportunity to promote someone from the womenswear team as a CD and Peter would have remained Menswear Design Director or something of that nature…

What I think maybe is that he should have handled his succession more smoothly. Maybe move the womenswear team and the menswear team together, have them work under his direction at least for 2 main seasons before giving the position to Hawkings.

Because obviously, he had a leadership in menswear and Tom Ford is a very much installed brand in the menswear arena but, it is still living under the glory of the legendary past for the womenswear part. And so his leadership was challenged there.

I think Peter tenure would have been fine but he would have never put Tom Ford in a place it could be.
And we saw it with Virginie. Her Chanel was a commercial success yes, but in terms of influence, fashion people didn’t wore Chanel as an It brand.

And it’s totally fair for a founder to expect his successor to do better than him.

Valentino under MCG and PPP was a commercial and critical success. Under PPP, the brand became part of the fashion conversation in a way that it wasn’t before…

they should look into hawkings for celine if hedi leaves. i think he will do well with continuing what hedi started and slowly developing it into his own like anthony for sl.

So this man is destined to follow someone’s path?
Even if the perspective of Celine as a name is appealing, it’s a bit reductive.

He is a connected person in the fashion industry and he is known. Most of the brands are Whitney’s clients anyway so I don’t have doubts about him having the opportunity to have his voice again.

 

[Lola701]

I can't share items like that publicly, for obvious reasons, but if you ask any Tom Ford contact, they are allowed to share privately.

I've attached 3 looks grabbed from the SS25 look book. Quite a departure for sunglasses - the same styles across the entire SS25 looks...

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View attachment 1293934
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I don’t think the issue here is regarding his abilities as a menswear designer or leader…

If one thing, Tom Ford under Peter Hawkings solo, is just a natural continuation of what Peter Hawkings was already doing under Tom with maybe less obvious shock tactics like lace underwear for men and maybe more teenagers as models…

 

[Phuel]

I personally think that Peter could be great for Dunhill, for Brioni, even for Berluti or Belstaff. Maybe something that allows him to get out of the Tom Ford universe.

All these brands are still very much a part of the same universe that the Tom Ford world is a part of. And that’s a good advantage for Peter— if he’s offered the opportunity to be a part of one of them. That, and no womenswear to deal with. But the need to find his own identity is going to be very challenging for him since Tom Ford is all he’s ever known.

If the allegations/gossips are true reasons for his termination, the one that bothers me more than any others by far would be the “producing overly derivative work” LMFAO

Again, did Zegna— and Tom, expect him to fully impress with some unexpected new vision for the label when they should have known that the Tom Ford brand is all he’s ever known??? Were they willing to lose that loyal and very rich— and tacky, conservative customer-base in hopes of Peter suddenly turning into a next Matthieu Blazy/Pieter Muller/Phoebe Philo LOL They know the type of designer Peter has always been and he’s just not strong enough to handle both men’s and women’s, including overseeing the complete look. He requires a lot of support.

The most reasonable, logical and safe strategy of modernizing the brand from its admittedly old tacky sheen would have been to strip off the dated styling, including the very dated accessories/eyewear/footwear, and the casting: Rockstar just doesn’t work for the brand. That cheap-a55 grommet belt that was shown with everything in his last/final collection is so hideous— it’s the kind of crusty, tired rocker/stoner belt that’s found in every headshop from Santa Fe to Brussels. (The 3rd shot Chris posted is the brand of styling I like, and that's the strongest from this brand: monochromatic, classic but not traditional, tailored and very investment-worthy rather than fashion-of-the-moment. Just take the damn sunglasses off.)

 

[chriswiles]

An update. Apparently a new Tom Ford creative director has been chosen and should be announced either this or next week.

I was told who it's likely to be, which makes sense when you hear the back story over the decision.

 

[LadyJunon]

An update. Apparently a new Tom Ford creative director has been chosen and should be announced either this or next week.

I was told who it's likely to be, which makes sense when you hear the back story over the decision.

Tell me, I beg you.

 

[TomBlanksFullFatMiuMiu]

I was told who it's likely to be, which makes sense when you hear the back story over the decision.

Backstory? Interesting word...... young blood or old behind the scenes?
If not Stefano, please don't tell me it's Ludovic de Saint Sernin or Laquan Smith because they are going to bring sex back to TF
What if PPP?

 

[chriswiles]

Backstory? Interesting word......

The important part is we should know for sure this or following week.

I did some research on the rumoured new guy last night - not personally convinced. Obviously I cannot say on a public forum, for obvious reasons.

I did also hear a more solid reason why Peter left. It was by mutual agreement. He wasn't just pushed out the door. Zegna wants to move everything (deign team etc) to Milan, so it's all within the same location, whereas Peter wanted to remain in London where the men's design team has been HQ'ed for years.