First Dance: Haider Ackermann’s Debut Collection for Tom Ford

Haider Ackermann’s very first collection for Tom Ford - one of the most anticipated shows of the season - proved to be a gorgeous ode to sensuality, desire, and seduction. Presented in an intimate format, the show demonstrated that the designer had perfectly mastered the house’s codes, ushering in an exciting new chapter for Tom Ford.

In the Private Club

It was one of the most intimate shows of the season: only 200 guests were invited to the Pavillon Vendôme, just meters away from the world’s most iconic square and the ultimate symbol of luxury, Place Vendôme. For his debut, Haider Ackermann wanted the experience to feel special, transforming the venue into a private club — a hidden room in a house or a hotel, where future lovers meet, talk, and discover each other for the very first time.

“Private rooms in clubs are mysterious places where things happen that not everyone can access. That unattainability creates a distance that charms, fueling desire. Tom Ford is a world of desire. It lures and seduces,” the designer wrote in his show notes.

Among the distinguished guests — seated on gray leather sofas — one could spot Kate Moss, Jared Leto, Thom Browne, Daphne Guinness, Lou Doillon, and Tom Ford himself. The mirrors on the walls were intentionally left “uncleaned,” revealing intimate words scribbled by hand: love, sex, heart. To complete the experience, a welcome drink — a mocktail served in a martini glass, one of Haider’s favorites — was offered to every guest.

The New Sensuality

“Sensuality is the feeling of beauty. I welcomed my beauties here: the noble personalities embodying my idea of what makes an individual today. Their androgyny brings alive the vertical directness of what they wear, the ease of pure lines empowered by the full blast of color,” Haider Ackermann wrote in his letter to editors, which served as the show notes.

He described his partnership with Tom Ford as a “dance,” referring to the legendary American designer as his dancing partner: “A beginning is a new dance. You start by looking at your partner, acknowledging differences, exploring similarities, trying to find ways to match each other’s steps and move harmoniously.” Ackermann also poetically likened Ford to “the night” and himself to “the morning after,” seeing his vision as a continuation of Ford’s world — a world that made both the designer and his namesake brand synonymous with seduction and desire.

On the catwalk, Ackermann presented a series of impeccably tailored smokings and power suits in shades of grey, deep black, and vivid hues for both men and women. Evening gowns, adorned with thousands of shimmering beads, brought a touch of ethereal glamour. Other standout pieces included leather trenches—one in bordeaux, which inspired the show’s striking lip color, described by Ackermann as “lips bleeding red, kissed the whole night”—alongside leather shirts, cravats, and flowing dresses in a palette of bright pastels.

Courtesy: Tom Ford

Text: Lidia Ageeva