Tom Ford’s new executive leadership team has been appointed. Guillaume Jesel has been named President and CEO of the brand, and Peter Hawkings has been appointed creative director, succeeding Ford.
On April 26, Tom Ford just made a surprise reveal of his Fall 2023 collection and simultaneously announced that Ford himself is leaving the brand. parent company the Estée Lauder Companies Inc. reported the completion of its $2.8 billion acquisition of Tom Ford on April 28. The Zegna Group will license the fashion and accessories business, while Marcolin Group will license the eyewear business.
Hawkings began his career at Ford-led Gucci in 1998, where he worked closely with Ford to develop Gucci’s highly successful menswear collection. In 2006, he left Gucci to join Tom Ford in launching Ford’s eponymous brand. Known as Ford’s longtime collaborator, he is responsible for overseeing the design and production of all Tom Ford menswear categories, including tailoring, sportswear, leather goods, and accessories.
“In Peter Hawkings the brand has found the perfect Creative Director,” said Tom Ford on the release.
“Peter began working with me 25 years ago as a menswear design assistant at Gucci and rapidly worked his way up to become the senior men’s designer at the company when he left to join me at the TOM FORD brand. Since the creation of TOM FORD menswear, Peter has been instrumental in the success of the brand. He is an incredibly talented leader with tremendous industry experience, and his appointment gives me confidence that my commitment to creating fashion products with the highest level of design and quality will continue.” He added.