Grooming -- 17 hours ago
For Tom Ford Autumn/Winter 2024, Peter Hawkings went big on fit
Peter Hawkings unveiled his sophomore collection for Tom Ford during Milan Fashion Week
As per the show notes, Peter Hawkings wanted to depict "once more, a strong and confident character who dresses with sharp immediacy" at Tom Ford. Now in his sophomore season as creative director, Hawkings is well versed in how to do Tom Ford. He was the right-hand-man to the guy before he sold up and moved on (to what? Not yet sure).
Hawkings spent decades working for the brand founder. Hawkings knows Tom Ford better than anyone else (perhaps even Tom Ford himself). And that was all too clear with his Autumn/Winter 2024 collection. The brand said that the Pola Woman, the strong dominatrix who oversaw photographer Helmut Newton’s fetishistic universe, was the inspiration behind the collection, and that was clear in both the womenswear and the menswear.
Strength of man came through sharp silhouettes. Fit is extremely important to Hawkings and that was evident with faultless tailoring. Single-breasted pinstriped suits were razor sharp in construction, cut slim to the body and complemented with figure-hugging and ever-so-slightly cropped waistcoats. They were sexy, but not in the old Tom Ford way where it was thrown in your face. These were subtle in their sexiness. A waistcoat worn sans shirt, for instance, flashed an appropriate bit of skin. Cream evening suits, similarly, weren't paired up with shirts and were given a Seventies flare: long-jackets, deep lapels, cinches waists and broader shoulders. Gold lamé blazers were skinny in fit, and were matched up with poker-straight trousers. Tom Ford's signature sunglasses up top. Hawkings presented power tailoring at its very best.
Elsewhere Hawkings, like most other designers in Milan (Prada, Ferragamo et al) jumped on the big military trend. Perhaps a reference to the tumultuous state of the world, he sent a World War One-vibing, camel wool trench coat down the catwalk. But this was less free for movement as those 20th century coats were and was drawn in at the waist to accentuate the figure of the male models wearing it and worn with matching camel slacks and brown leather stomper boots. Meanwhile alligator coats were belted at the waist, again playing with the silhouette of the male the clothes that fit him.
Want more fashion content? Read up on the The biggest menswear moments from Milan Fashion Week and Pitti Uomo
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