Tom Ford S/S 2024 Milan

[LadyJunon]

The brand has lost a lot of desirability and the product strategy has been lost for a few years now. A few months ago I was walking Bergdorf's clearance rack and there were awful $700 TF logo sneakers + velour tracksuits at 60% off. They need to re-center the brand and this is at least a good attempt at reiterating the core DNA. Otherwise, the campaigns have been the same for a decade and there's a lot of opportunity in retail + accessories.

Exactly! But looking at Zegna and how they are handling Thom Browne, I don’t worry about it. And judging by Peter’s comments, he seems very aware of that.



And I really hope that international shipping will finally be available on their e-shop.



But I really think that Peter will go even more on the Gucci road because the Gucci years were more versatile than the namesake brand.

I believe that the aim under Hawkings' direction with him mentioning that he wanted to bring the vision of the womenswear closer to that the menswear.

They've already moved the womenswear operations to Hawkings' office in London, moved the shows to Milan and hired Alex de Betak for the production, so I believe more recentering will take place in the following years.

As for the visuals, I believe that it would be smart to lean more into Gucci-era Ford considering how diverse the offerings from that era is, especially in terms of daywear/workwear offerings (the core of ready-to-wear sales). It would be very smart for Tom Ford to strengthen their womenswear and position themselves as the sensual feminine energy that balances out Zegna and Browne more masculine energies.

 

[Bernie Flood]

No, Marie Chaix (Courrèges, Schiaparelli, Herrera, McCartney) styled this collection.

Ohhh! She worked with Carine in Paris Vogue no?

 

[LadyJunon]

Ohhh! She worked with Carine in Paris Vogue no?

Maybe. IDK, I don't really follow stylists...

 

[Lola701]

Ohhh! She worked with Carine in Paris Vogue no?

She really worked regularly with Emmanuelle at VP. She wasn’t a regular during Carine’s era…
I think her connection with Peter has more to do with being a longtime editor of ID and being in London than Carine/Tom Ford.

 

[tricotineacetat]

Can you point me the "new direction" Hawkings is heading to ? I fail to see it.
I don't think they intend to expand the RTW retail, actually they let go a lot of retail space (including the Paris flagship which became another Dior store), it's too big of an investment. They have probably better returns by focusing on glasses and beauty.

Like I said in my previous posting (and as Peter Hawking had also mentioned in the style.com feature), it's already clear he will bring the men's and womenswear collections closer together. We've seen this with a lot of fabrics and styles finding an equivalent in the women's and it makes sense, considering that Zegna is first and foremost a tailoring specialist and this aligns perfectly with establishing Tom Ford further as an established luxury maison - Somebody mentioned a resemblance in Celine and I think that's a good comparison, considering Peter Hawking's background in menswear design lends itself well in providing daywear separates and tailoring Zegna will have no difficulty in producing.

When you look at other luxury brands like Prada or Bottega Veneta, you have creators at the helm who are conceptualists by heart - Peter and by extension Tom Ford's customer isn't about that: They stand for more traditional values of luxury and ideas of beauty - Wanting to look their very best in clothes, rather than pushing the boundaries of taste. With Peter, it's clear that customer can now be assured he will lead the house in that direction, providing them with solutions that fit their lifestyle, with a stronger emphasize on daywear than resort.

 

[carboncopy]

I thought the atmosphere and vibe of the collection was strong with a new twist - there wasn't any gimmicks that Tom has previously done. Peter knows what their customer is buying, having worked for TF for 25 years and knowing the DNA of the brand from the ground up - I liked nods to previous design elements that Tom had done, such as the belts and the velvet suits with piped edges that was a nod to their time at Gucci.

 

[vogue28]

Massively thrilled Peter Hawkings didn't shy away from the quintessential Tom Ford aesthetic, and kept this whole collection on-brand, from first to last look. Tom Ford, will always and forever, be a brand that does not need a rebrand of ANY sort. Very much a fan, it's just all so chic, sleek and sexy...

 

[Not Plain Jane]

maybe i'm in the minority but ... Zzzzzz

 

[lhhbl]

It makes such a difference when the creative director understands the house that they're working for and its clientele. Sometimes you don't need to reinvent the wheel to be competent and Peter Hawkings was the proof of it this season. this is a quintessential Tom Ford collection yet felt modern unlike the last couple of seasons under the helm of the man himself. The fit and construction looked impeccable! The sunglasses looked on brand. I would like to see more fluidity and a lighter touch in the next seasons, though!

The casting was amazing as well, even though the male outfits were not necessary imo. Lulu on that stunning blue velvet suit looked simply amazing. Also Anok in that perfectly made black feathers dress.

 

[michael123]

Sometimes safe is refreshing.

 

[Bernie Flood]

Pls dont Balenciaga the Tom Ford brand.

 

[LadyJunon]

The show video with the restored original soundtrack:


Tracklist:
Welcome To My Island - Caroline Polachek
Bassically - Tei Shi
Big Time Sensuality - Björk (Flute Minimix)
Cleo - Shygirl
Lost In The Bedroom - Sky Ferreira

 

[LadyJunon]

Backstage Shots by Arnold Daniel:

Source: Instagram

 

[tricotineacetat]

I must say the art direction and photography (while arguably leaning a bit towards Hedi Slimane's style for Celine) is a welcome improvement from any of the visuals created for the Tom Ford brand in the past. The brand still has that sensual and hedonistic air around it but overall this feels more timeless and elegantly sleek (as befits a brand that wants to be recognized as a luxury maison) rather than playing too much on the trashy vulgarity card that for too long created an inconsistency between Tom Ford men's and womenswear.

Perhaps a bit early to tell, but based on the first things we could see so far of Peter Hawking's impact as creative director, I think this will prove one of the better exemplars of a brand continuing on after it's namesake founder departed.

 

[Bernie Flood]

For me the best Tom Ford era was 2010 til Fall 2014.

 

[GoldenPetals]

It's good because it's finally refined the Tom Ford aesthetic. It was starting to have an identity crisis, which is probably normal for a younger brand. But I think Hawkings has done a superb job distilling the essence of the brand with this collection. He clearly understands luxury fashion well.

 

[LadyJunon]

Tom Ford's opinion on Hawkings and his debut collection:

You sent me a text the other day about your successor at Tom Ford, Peter Hawkings, who worked for you for years. You mentioned how displeased you are by some of the things he’s been saying as he gets started.
I have, since, calmed down a little bit. But I read in a GQ blog or something that Peter said he was given a blank page to start Tom Ford menswear.

Yes.
It really upset me because starting Tom Ford menswear [in 2007] was one of the things I’m probably the most proud of in my entire career. I was used to being at Gucci and when I wanted something, I just had it made. And all of a sudden, I couldn’t – I didn’t have any clothes. So I brought in all the clothes from my wardrobe. I had everything made in my size. Luckily, I’m a 48 regular, which is the fitting size. So I fit all the suits on myself. Peter wasn’t able to start for a while. He was still John Ray’s assistant at Gucci. So those first few years, that collection was built on me. It was enormously personal. I literally sent my sofas out to be copied for the stores. I loaned art from my house to the stores. It was one of the things I’m the most proud of, because it was the foundation of the company. So I got in touch with him [recently]. I said, “Pete, I don’t want to say these things publicly and contradict you, but it wasn’t exactly a blank page.” I was very worked up about it. I’m less worked up about it now. When you sell your company, you’re prepared for anything. And I really am prepared for anything. Whatever direction they go, Peter’s blank page starts now. But, you know, that’s my fashion legacy. The Tom Ford company, the Tom at Gucci, the Tom at Saint Laurent – that’s mine. It’s tied up in two neat volumes with a bow.

How did you feel after talking directly to Peter?
We didn't talk. We exchanged emails because what I had to say, I wanted to say carefully, and I wanted to take away the emotion. And then I sat on the email for a day, which I think is always the best. I wasn't upset about anything he sent down the runway. I thought it was beautiful. I thought it was very well made. He was certainly in the spirit of the brand. I think women's fashion is very hard. I think now he's going to need to do something somewhat revolutionary in the way that Alessandro Michele did with Gucci. Anyway, it's easy to sound petty – I’m self-conscious in a way even admitting that I feel this way. Because I've been very lucky. I've had a great career.

Between Peter Hawkings’ debut at Tom Ford and Sabato De Sarno’s debut at Gucci, all anyone was talking about at Fashion Week in Milan was the influence of Tom Ford at Gucci.
Well, it’s very nice, but I didn’t give it a lot of thought. Fashion is cyclical. That was, God, 20 years ago. I’m glad that what I did has come back again.

Excerpt from Death, Sex and Money: the Tom Ford exit interview by GQ

 

[Phuel]

“Pete, I don’t want to say these things publicly and contradict you, but it wasn’t exactly a blank page.” ...…And yet— he’s announced it on GQ LMFAO

Of course, Tom’s not wrong. There’s not a lick/whiff/glance of anything fresh with Peter's debut. Admittedly, everything looks impeccably constructed, produced, and the customers willl be very pleased. Glad quality standards remain a given at Tom Ford. But creatively, it’s all so soulless and just stagnant. (Don’t mean to be that b!tch, but when someone models themselves after Tom— with a touch of Terry, in their appearance, how could he possibly possess any creative originality…???)

 

[LadyJunon]

“Pete, I don’t want to say these things publicly and contradict you, but it wasn’t exactly a blank page.” ...…And yet— he’s announced it on GQ LMFAO

Of course, Tom’s not wrong. There’s not a lick/whiff/glance of anything fresh with Peter's debut. Admittedly, everything looks impeccably constructed, produced, and the customers willl be very pleased. Glad quality standards remain a given at Tom Ford. But creatively, it’s all so soulless and just stagnant. (Don’t mean to be that b!tch, but when someone models themselves after Tom— with a touch of Terry, in their appearance, how could he possibly possess any creative originality…???)

It is a very good collection, one of the better ones this season. It's elegant, well styled and very desirable, something that we haven't consistently gotten from Tom Ford for the past few years. It was a smart move for Hawkings to pull from Gucci instead of Ford's namesake work, as that era is the most directional and recognisable of his work. The issue now is how is he going to proceed from here.

Yes, Tom Ford is very right on what he said in his interview for GQ. While menswear can thrive solely on quality fabrics and good tailoring, womenswear is extremely dependent on silhouettes. Now that Tom Ford has given him the green light to push the brand forward, Hawkings should think about developing a silhouette that is both iconic and desirable.

 

[reese06]

Ok, so I keep coming back to this collection and I really enjoy it. I think it was one of the safest but also one of the best at least in Milan.

I think it was a great debut if the objective was to reestablish the brand's identity through house codes which have seemingly been lost in due to Tom's lack of focus over the years.

I will say that I need to see Peter's imprint and aesthetic in the upcoming collections. They need another hit shoe and bag for women to keep the momentum. They should look to Spring 2013 when it comes to shoes.