Fashion's Game of Musical Chairs Heats Up
Fashion Month Spring/Summer 2025 is nearly here, and it's bound to be a doozy. Several luxury brands are allegedly negotiating major shake-ups — meaning fashion's game of musical chairs is in play once more.
Some moves are confirmed, while others are less certain. What we do know: Peter Hawkings, who succeeded Tom Ford at his eponymous label in 2023, has exited the brand after just one year.
Estée Lauder Companies, which acquired Tom Ford last April, said in a statement that Hawkings' replacement will be announced in the “near future." According to Business of Fashion, the brand will forgo a SS25 runway show and instead present its new collection at its Milan showroom.
News of Hawkings' departure broke as social media simultaneously lit up with speculation that John Galliano will not renew his contract with Maison Margiela, where he has served as creative director since 2014.
Miss Tweed — an independent, subscription-based publication that reports on the fashion and luxury goods sector — spoke to "several sources with knowledge of the matter" who alleged that Galliano is headed back to Dior, his former employer. In 2011, he was fired from the French maison after making anti-semitic slurs, which were captured in a video that surfaced online.
If Galliano is indeed poised to re-join Dior, he would unseat Maria Grazia Chiuri, who has led the brand since 2016. Nothing is certain, however — shortly after Miss Tweed's report went live, Fashion Network claimed that Galliano is actually set to join Fendi.
In other words: These are all just rumors. LVMH, parent company of Dior and Fendi, have not commented, nor has OTB Group, Maison Margiela's owner.
Over a decade after being shunned by the fashion industry, Galliano has made something of a comeback. His last couture show for Maison Margiela, presented in Paris in January, was lauded by critics for its unrestrained artistry.
At the Met Gala in May, Galliano dressed several high-profile celebrities including Zendaya, Kim Kardashian, Gwendoline Christie, and Bad Bunny. Still, the designer's reentry into the spotlight has proven to be divisive, as onlookers contemplate whether he deserves to be forgiven.
Something is also (allegedly) brewing at Givenchy. On Monday morning, Miss Tweed reported that Sarah Burton, who took her final bow as creative director of Alexander McQueen last September, will join Givenchy.
Rumors that Burton is a frontrunner for the house have swirled since its previous creative director, Matthew Williams, stepped down in December 2023.
If all of this speculation pans out, the industry will be left with several major roles to fill. Who will replace Galliano at Margiela and Hawkings at Tom Ford? Where will Maria Grazia Chiuri go? And perhaps the most pressing question: How will the public respond to Dior's potential re-embrace of of the formerly disgraced Galliano?
This story was first published on July 22, 2024 and updated on July 24, 2024
