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Another day, another major executive change. This time it was at Tom Ford, where Creative Director Peter Hawkings left his position this week. Although Hawkings had only been creative director at the brand since 2023, he oversaw its menswear department for years. No successor has been announced yet, but it should happen in the “near future,” according to the company.
“I want to thank Peter for his collaboration since Tom Ford Fashion became part of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group,” Lelio Gavazza, CEO of Tom Ford Fashion, said in a statement. “Along with his team, Peter has contributed to this important initial phase of development.”
As designer Tom Ford’s successor, Hawkings came into the creative director job with a lot of expectations, and in his brief time at the label known for its sexy-meets-classic aesthetic, lived up to many of them. His take, however, was a bit more subdued than what Ford had been known for.
“My vision of sexiness is going to be probably more subtle than Tom’s,” Hawkings told Vogue in 2023.
But given his short stint in the role, it’s hard to tell whether his ideas resonated with consumers. It is certain that luxury is having a hard time, and even the biggest brands are struggling to figure out just how to keep consumers engaged and excited at a time when most shoppers are cutting back on discretionary spending.
It also means the pressure on the creative director at a luxury retailer is multifold, and executive shifts are rampant.
The most recent example is at Burberry, where CEO Jonathan Akeroyd was abruptly replaced by Joshua Schulman, former CEO of Michael Kors, Coach, and Jimmy Choo. His departure, although sudden, was likely influenced by stagnating sales and a dropping share price over the past few months.