Haider Ackermann greeted reporters backstage after his sensational debut show: “I hope I seduced you all.” Rehearsed or impromptu, it was just about the best designer one-liner since Tom Ford himself was serving them up before he retired in 2023. Ackermann was hand-picked by Ford to step into his brand’s creative director shoes after a false start by Peter Hawkings, who worked with the designer for over two decades but lasted just about a year in the role.
While their styles aren’t entirely aligned—Ford is high octane, and Ackermann is a slow burn; the former specialized in extroverted fashion and the latter a more expressive romanticism—both men cut quite a figure: handsome, well-groomed, carefully dressed. You can see how they might relate to each other. But could it be a love match?
Ackermann not too long ago electrified the couture crowd with his one-off for Jean Paul Gaultier, and over the years, ardent fans have nominated him for would-be jobs at Armani and Chanel (the fan in that case being Karl Lagerfeld). Can he do something similar for Tom Ford? Can he turn around the brand’s somewhat outdated take on glamour and give it a refresh that looks forward and not back? As we waited for the celebrities to assemble and the lights to dim, those were the questions top of mind.
Ackermann confidently stayed away from specific references, either from Ford’s eponymous collection or from his work for Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Instead he addressed broad categories, opening with daywear, a lot of it in leather, and most of it in black and white, plus a hit of lipstick red, and closing with evening looks—and this is where he really found his groove—that focused on their mutual tailoring prowess and shared passion for gorgeous, mouthwatering color.
Ackermann’s colors ranged from acid yellow and the ice blue of David Bowie’s iconic Freddie Burretti two-piece for pantsuits to the delicate lilac of a fringed cocktail dress. But he also understands the potency of black. Ford’s suits have become staples of the red carpet for men, and you could see women picking up the thread with a tailored plunge-front jumpsuit or the evening dresses that came out as a pair, one a sleeveless coat dress with satin revers and the other strapless, with a camellia at the bust line.
When asked about Ford’s brand of sexy, Ackermann has shied away from the word in interviews, preferring the term sensual. Backstage he also insisted, “I don’t understand the word glamour.” But the man doth protest too much. He does a very convincing sexy, one that doesn’t stray into the vulgar, which is the obvious danger when designing cutaway dresses and sending them out sans culottes. And there was glamour for sure in the textured mesh dresses and tuxedo jacket. As the audience spilled into the Place Vendôme, there was a charge of excitement in the night air; it just might be the beginning of a beautiful love affair.
