The designer, who was recently appointed Creative Director of the fashion house, showcases his first collection with Tom Ford.
This week in Paris, Haider Ackermann made his highly anticipated debut as Creative Director of Tom Ford. The Fall/Winter 2025 Collection is Ackermann’s first show with the fashion house after being appointed to the role of Creative Director last September.
Ackermann brings years of experience to Tom Ford and is a fashion industry favorite. In 2001, he launched his own label with a womenswear collection. He served as creative director of Berluti for three seasons, and has previously been approached for creative director roles at Dior and Martin Margiela. In 2010, he launched a menswear collection and a year later was selected as a guest designer for the Pitti Immagine showcase. Recently, he guest-designed Jean Paul Gautier’s spring 2023 haute couture collection.
“A beginning is a new dance,” said Ackermann, who took his first dance with Tom Ford at the Pavillon Vendôme in Paris. The venue included plush seats and dark hues and mirrors all around in order to “seduce” the audience into the world of Tom Ford under Ackermann.
“Entering the house that Mr. Tom Ford built I was drawn to the man himself, whose personality reverberates through everything he envisioned. He is nightlife, I am the morning after.”
Haider Ackermann
Tom Ford style but with an apparent Ackermann eye is evident throughout the show. “Entering the house that Mr. Tom Ford built I was drawn to the man himself, whose personality reverberates through everything he envisioned. He is nightlife, I am the morning after,” explained Ackermann. Staples of Tom Ford design aesthetic are evident in Ackermann’s pieces, such as classic silhouettes and impeccable tailoring, demonstrating his understanding of the fashion house. However, it is a new era for Tom Ford in which Ackermann sits at the helm and thus every look has a certain Ackermann touch.
Looks of black leather started off the show — pants, gloves, tailored jackets and more. Silk skirts, sweaters and fringe dresses also made an appearance on the runway. Suits, a long time Tom Ford classic, were probably the most present article of clothing on the runway. Each suit had its own unique look, some featured a more loose fit which showcased Ackermann’s take on the classic Tom Ford suit, and colors and materials varied.
Ackermann also played with traditional ideas of gender and fashion. For example, he put women in colorful suits of lilac and yellow. Another model wore a light pink suit paired with a bright green shirt. “Their androgyny brings alive the vertical directness of what they wear, the ease of pure lines empowered by the full blast of color,” said Ackermann. The finale featured a group of models wearing suits once more.
Many models donned sunglasses while others wore bright eye looks with bleached brows. Hair was completely gelled and slicked back, heightening the effortlessly cool element of the show while letting the clothes speak for themselves.
Ackermann hoped to leave an impression on the audience in his debut, playing into elements of seduction and captivation. An unforgettable night spent with Tom Ford. “The morning after all that’s unnecessary has been left behind. What remains is feelings, impressions and lips bleeding red that have been kissed for the whole night,” he said.
All imagery courtesy of Tom Ford.
