After unexpectedly announcing on social media that he is launching his final collection, fashion designer Tom Ford is leaving his position as Chief Creative Officer of his own brand. In addition to fashion, he has built his name in the beauty and fragrance industry, and last November, the brand was acquired by giant Estée Lauder for a substantial 2.8 billion dollars.
The departure of the spiritus movens does not extinguish the brand itself, as the aesthetic and vision of the founder will continue to be followed by newly appointed CEO Guillame Jesel and Creative Director Peter Hawkins. According to Hypebeast, Jesel and Hawkins are long-time colleagues of Ford. Jesel has served as the Global Director of Tom Ford Beauty for nearly a decade, while Hawkins has held the position of Vice President of the men’s division of the brand for a full 25 years.
In Safe Hands
The duo will, as stated in the announcement, continue to work closely together to ensure that the brand’s image remains consistent and cohesive across all categories, products, communication, and retail.
Tom Ford himself praised his successors, stating that Hawkins began working with him 25 years ago as an assistant at Gucci. It wasn’t long before he was promoted to Senior Designer of the men’s collection, and then, together with Ford, left Gucci to work for his new brand. According to Ford, Hawkins is one of the key links to the brand’s success, an exceptionally talented leader with vast experience in the industry. Jesel, he claims, is also a great leader who not only understands the business of the beauty industry but also fashion itself.
