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Tom Ford will present its Spring/Summer 2024 womenswear collection — the first since Ford’s departure and creative director Peter Hawkings’s debut — during Milan Fashion Week this September.
“I am honoured to have been appointed creative director of Tom Ford and to have this unique opportunity to help write the next chapter in the brand’s future,” Hawkings said in a release.
All eyes will be on Hawkings come September, as his debut becomes one of Milan’s most anticipated. The longtime Tom Ford menswear designer was appointed to the role in April 2023, when The Estée Lauder Companies completed its acquisition of Tom Ford and Guillaume Jesel was appointed president and chief executive officer of the brand. Zegna Group (now a long-term licensee of The Estée Lauder Companies) will be in charge of the end-to-end Tom Ford fashion and accessories businesses.
This followed a somewhat subdued farewell from Ford a couple of days prior, by way of a series of Steven Klein-directed videos showcasing the designer’s “favourite” pieces over his 13-year tenure. This was in lieu of the brand’s usual New York Fashion Week closing slot.
Presenting the new collection in Milan signals a new direction for Tom Ford, though it’s not the first time the brand has decamped from New York, having shown in Los Angeles in seasons past. Milan is also a city anchored in its founder’s history, as Ford debuted at Gucci during Milan Fashion Week nearly 20 years ago. Hawkings too has ties to the city, having began his career at Gucci under Ford in 1998.
“Italian craftsmanship and excellence have been a source of inspiration for our collections and I am delighted to be showing during Milan Fashion Week,” Hawkings said.
Clarification: Updated to include that Tom Ford's fashion business will be controlled by Zegna Group. (6 July 2023)
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