FASHION

Tilda Swinton, In Mourning Attire, Celebrates Haider Ackermann’s Berluti Debut

With Natalia Vodianova, Lou Doillon, and more.


At the end of the summer, menswear label Berluti, a brand best-known for its leatherwear and shoes, announced it would take on a new creative director, succeeding Alessandro Sartori: Colombian-French designer Haider Ackermann, a man who made his name with asymmetrical, modernist designs at his namesake label. For years, Ackermann’s name has been floated for top design jobs at houses like Margiela and Dior; but he’s most established as a womenswear, rather than menswear, designer (though he’s that, too) — making the selection all the more notable. He made his Berluti debut at Paris Fashion Week Men’s on Friday, as the Parisian menswear shows just got underway. While Sartori’s Berluti had hewed quite closely to the leatherwear brand’s roots, Ackermann’s vision of the label was, well, quite Haider Ackermann. A designer with such a strong voice can’t help but be himself, it seems. In the crowd to support him were a few fans and friends — Lou Doillon, Natalia Vodianova, and, of course, the dame herself Tilda Swinton. And, in typical Tilda style, she wore a monochrome Ackermann pantsuit, posing with the designer — and, despite the celebratory tone of the event, the sharp, dark look could as well have been mourning attire.

Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann at the Berluti Fall 2017 menswear show in Paris, France, January 2017.

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Who: Tilda Swinton.

When: Friday, January 20.

Where: Haider Ackermann’s debut at Berluti for the Fall 2017 menswear shows in Paris, France.

What: A dark, monochrome pantsuit by Haider Ackermann with pointy-toed black pumps and a bright red lip.

Why: As per usual, Swinton looks a little like a retro-futuristic supervillain in her Ackermann digs. The strong shoulders, extra-long sleeves, and pleated trousers recall Dr. Strange, while the somber color palette seems to nod to darker realities. Pointy-toed black pumps, a severe red lip, and careful coif top the whole thing off, glamorous details that fit perfectly with the understated look.

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