Haider Ackermann’s debut as Creative director for Tom Ford‘s Fall/Winter 2025 collection in Paris was a bold declaration of intent – a new chapter steeped in seduction, sharp tailoring, and the magnetic tension between legacy and innovation. Against the mirrored glow of the Pavillon Vendôme, where dry martinis and plush seating set an intimate tone, Ackermann presented a lineup that honored Ford’s DNA while imprinting his own romantic sensibility. The result? A confident step into modernity that balances the brand’s iconic vanity with a quieter, more expressive allure.
Ford, who handpicked Ackermann after Peter Hawkings’ brief tenure, watched as the designer reinvented the house’s codes without mimicry. Where Ford’s aesthetic often roared with high-octane glamour, Ackermann opted for a simmering intensity. Leather t-shirts paired with liquid bias skirts hugged bare hips, while sharp-shouldered pinstripe suits nodded to ’80s power dressing, updated with polka-dot scarves and white lapel flowers. The collection’s standout – a cropped sweatshirt over a low-slung skirt – felt like a bridge between Ford’s boldness and Ackermann’s fluidity, humming with understated desire.
Eveningwear leaned toward drama without veering into excess. A sky-blue column gown slit to the waist contrasted with a lavender fringed cocktail dress, each piece a study in controlled provocation. Ackermann’s palette – acid yellows, ice blues and lacquered reds – echoed Ford’s love of bold color, but softened the edges with pastel lilacs and textured black mesh. Tailoring, a shared obsession, shone in plunging jumpsuits and satin-trimmed coat dresses, proving that sensuality need not sacrifice structure.
Backstage, Ackermann deflected terms like “glamour” and “sexy,” preferring “sensual” to describe his approach. But the collection spoke louder: snakeskin coats, crocodile-embroidered slits and sequined tuxedo jackets made it clear that opulence remains central to Tom Ford’s identity. The audience – Ford, Gildo Zegna of the Zegna Group, and stars like Jared Leto – responded with a standing ovation, signaling approval for this new direction.
©Photo: Tom Ford