Haider Ackermann’s Latest Tom Ford Collection Is Seductive—and Subversive
Last night, a year after his first show for Tom Ford, Haider Ackermann introduced his fall 2026 collection with a set of beautifully tailored all-black and all-white looks. The first models sported bleach-blonde buzz cuts, walking into a white box that operated less as a traditional runway than a glowing theatre lit so bright it took on a clinical appeal. There was a fetishistic element to Ackermann’s new offering: now three seasons in, his languid silhouettes and considered elegance have met Tom Ford’s signature sex-forward opulence to give us slick garments full of cleverly appointed severity. There’s a sharpness and a cinematic lushness to Ackermann’s vision. It feels inspired and right at home in Ford’s house codes and post-fashion role. (The man himself is currently directing Adele in Rome for the Opera drama Cry to Heaven.)
The show was full of slyly executed, soon-to-be timeless ideas. A loose, low-slung tailored trouser with a single exposed hip felt modern and assertively sexy, never overdone. A set of men walked in colorful pintstriped shirting punctuated by perforated leather collars and ultra-skinny ties, a look that felt more ’80s New Wave than ’60s rockstar. Superhigh-waisted men’s denim felt assured. The most eye-catching pieces were transparent, slim-tailored plastic trenches; pencil and A-line skirts; and jackets with black trim detailing. In Ackermann’s Tom Ford world, Patrick Bateman can be a man or a woman. Traditional silhouettes—including a clear plastic bonnet—become seductive and surprisingly subversive. The sheer skirts in particular were brilliant styling devices. The A-line number was layered over a lace mini skirt with a sheer pinstripe button-down. Ladylike garments were pushed to a sterile extreme; those bonnets could be worn by both a subcultural type and a well-heeled woman alike.
Rather than walking one by one, models weaved in and out of the white box, some sauntering cinematically, others darting through, while others still inhabited the character of their garment. Eveningwear—always a highlight at Tom Ford—featured two dramatic black gowns and an assortment of takes on the tuxedo. Men and women walked in states of undress, with shirts and ties half-undone. Maybe they’ve just gotten home and loosened their garments, buzzed from free-flowing champagne; maybe they’re one half of a pair, ripping their partners’ clothes off or slowly unbuttoning a perfectly tailored white vest with utmost restraint. It’s not hard to imagine this collection not just in editorial but in real, vivid lives. In a season full of references to Tom Ford’s work—in his own house, at Gucci, and at YSL, where his Mombasa bag is now back again—it’s beautiful to see Ackermann flourishing with so much radiance.
