Burgunbee

This Fall/Winter 2025 Paris Fashion Week just ended, and it was quite impressive!
From Nicolas Ghesquière’s collection at Louis Vuitton, which embraced a travel theme, to a Coperni show set right in the middle of a video game, we also witnessed many exciting debuts. The former Alexander McQueen Creative Director, Sarah Burton, made her debut at Givenchy with brio, and we are looking forward to seeing what’s next for her at the house.

However, today I invite you to focus on one particular debut : Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford.

At Tom Ford, the Haider Ackermann era has just begun. Let’s take a moment to get familiar with Ackermann’s career and admire his work as Tom Ford’s newest creative director.

The Ackermann Era Begins

When these two names are placed side by side, two adjectives immediately come to mind : cinematic elegance and ultra high-end. But keep it quiet, that’s exactly what elegance is about.

Tom Ford is the eponymous brand of the former Artistic Director of Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, the American designer Tom Ford. Founded in 2005 after a series of major successes, Maison Tom Ford has become synonymous with glamour, bold sensuality, refined elegance, and androgyny. Passionate about exceptional techniques and luxurious materials, the brand has mastered the pillars of timeless elegance and enduring power in the fashion world. Tom Ford creates collections that often defy current trends, instead, he sets his own.

And who better than Haider Ackermann to carry on the brand’s legacy as its new Artistic Director ? Since founding his own eponymous label in 2001, Ackermann has quietly become one of the most respected designers of our time. His style, in fact, aligns closely with Ford’s : romantic, introspective, and undeniably sophisticated.

Ackermann embodies the perfect balance between structure and fluidity, with multicultural influences seamlessly integrated into his creations. His ready-to-wear collections often echo the finesse of couture, a realm he explored during his collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier in 2023. His runway shows are visual poems, true storytelling in motion. Ultimately, Ackermann’s work reflects not only his distinct personal style, but also serves as a mirror of his vision and inner world.

PFW25 : the awakening of a collection

With this first collection at Tom Ford, it feels like Haider Ackermann wanted to invite us into his mind.

His vision took the form of a dark square, split in half by the main runway. As the models walk, they move along both sides of the square. At first, their pace is slow, their expressions neutral. The music, too, feels absent, eerie, with a dark ambiance. But as the show progresses, the music gains intensity and charisma, reflecting the models’ evolving energy. They begin to embody the pieces through their walk. 

As the show continued, each model’s pace became different. Some walked quickly, while others had a smoother, slower walk. They even passed in front of each other when their walking speeds didn’t match, as if Ackermann wanted to present his pieces in a real-life scenario: the models as ordinary people walking through the streets, crossing paths or simply passing by one another.

The color palette shifts during the show. The show opens with black and white looks, gradually giving way to sudden bursts of brown, beige, and grey. Then, a vibrant explosion : yellow, green, purple, pink, and above all, a stunning red.

The flagship piece ? A magnificent red leather trench coat, approved by none other than Anna Wintour. Perfectly structured at the top, flaring out elegantly but still well structured at the bottom. The model wears matching red lipstick and a slicked-back hairstyle, in line with the beauty direction seen throughout the show.

And the casting ? Impeccable. Right in the middle of Women’s Fashion Week, Ackermann, known for his androgynous silhouettes just like Tom Ford, brought together a diverse mix of men and women of all ages. The makeup was bold, red lips and hair sprayed into sculptural shapes.

Tom Ford’s iconic tailoring and workwear were well represented, but Ackermann added his signature touch of fluidity to the fabrics. And because a well-mastered brand knows how to bridge modernity with heritage, he introduced four sparkling tailored pieces, ladies and gentlemen, meeting the new definition of sharp elegance.

As the show ends, the models gradually disappear, leaving the stage to the final look. The last model walks slowly as the music reaches its peak, creating a tense, urgent atmosphere. When she exits, the music shifts to something lighter, softer, welcoming all the models back for a final, graceful appearance.

A Tom Ford’s Forerunner ?

This collection and runway show is all about evolution. From a dark atmosphere, black and white pieces, and neutral expressions, to a lighter one, filled with color and models who are fully living through it. As the collection unfolds, you discover more and more pieces that could have made you gasp, but the theatrical atmosphere keeps you silent, simply letting you feel the story coming to life right under your eyes.

It feels like a journey toward progressive freedom and independence. You can still sense the structure of Tom Ford’s signature style, but Ackermann brings in fluidity and expression, as if the brand were taking flight again.

What messages did this first collection by Haider Ackermann send about Tom Ford’s future ? A lighter touch ? A more theatrical brand ? A stronger, more consistent color palette ? Maybe all of it !

I’ve written it before and I’ll write it again : Ackermann is clearly ready to let his own world beautifully collide with Tom Ford’s.

It was Haider Ackermann’s first collection for Tom Ford, and now, we’re all waiting for the answers to the questions it raised.