Peter Hawkings, longtime deputy of Tom Ford who took over as the brand’s creative director in 2023, has exited the business, Estée Lauder Companies said in a statement Monday. A successor will be announced in the near future, the company said.

Hawkings worked as a key deputy of Tom Ford for over two decades, including as senior vice president of Tom Ford Menswear, the line he helped Ford to establish in 2006. He stepped into the label’s top job last spring after Ford sold the brand to cosmetics giant Estée Lauder in a $2.8 billion deal. Italian group Zegna in turn licensed the brand’s fashion business in a long-term partnership.

At a debut show last September, Hawkings paid tribute to Ford’s glory days at Gucci in the late 1990s with leather micro-shorts and hip-hugging skirts, plunging necklines on ruffled blouses. A sophomore outing in March took aim at the commercially potent outerwear category, showing military-inspired peacoats, furry bombers and leather trenches alongside the label’s bread-and-butter smokings and evening dresses.

A slowdown in luxury demand is putting strain on smaller, weaker labels like Tom Ford, where apparel sales have long lagged its star licenses for fragrances and eyewear. Still, its hard to pinpoint what might have gone wrong.

Hawkings’ collections were recognised for sharp execution that carried on Tom Ford’s sleek style, even if they were called out for playing it safe with a more vanilla take on sexy fashion. And Zegna was the founding licensee of Tom Ford Menswear since 2006, meaning the company had already worked closely with the designer for years.

Zegna Group plans to double Tom Ford’s store count and relaunch womenswear with a focus on handbags to drive growth and profitability for its new acquisition, as menswear previously made up two-thirds of sales. The company reported first-quarter revenues of €65.0 million for its Tom Ford Fashion unit.

Stay tuned to BoF for updates on this developing story.