The Tom Ford brand enters a stunning new era as acclaimed designer Haider Ackermann takes the creative helm, debuting a co-ed collection at Paris Fashion Week in March 2025. This fusion marks the most anticipated high-fashion partnership of the year, uniting Tom Ford’s iconic sensuality and sharp modernity with Ackermann’s mastery of color, tailoring, and drama.
A New Creative Director, A New Parisian Chapter
Announcing Ackermann’s appointment, Tom Ford himself said:
“I have long been a great fan of Haider’s work. I find both his womenswear and menswear equally compelling. He is an incredible colorist, his tailoring is sharp, and above all he is modern. We share many of the same historical references, and I could not be more excited to see what he does with the brand. I suspect that I will be the first on my feet to applaud after his show in March.”
Ackermann’s own words capture the weight and thrill of the challenge:
“It is with tremendous pride that I will seek to honor the legacy of Tom Ford, a man I have long admired and have the utmost respect for,” said Ackermann. “I am much looking forward to what lies ahead.”
The Paris Debut: Sensual Energy Meets Architectural Lines
Ackermann delivered a landmark show at Paris Fashion Week, shifting the brand’s base from London and Milan to the heart of haute couture. Critics and buyers hailed it as a sensual revolution—a Tom Ford for a new era.
Key signatures included:
- Razor-sharp tailoring—double-breasted power suits with a flourish, including a standout tan hairy blazer and jewel-embellished jackets.
- Dramatic color palette—looks in black, grey, and luminous acid yellow and green, which Ackermann called colors of joyì
- Sheer, sculpted sensuality—dresses hugging the torso, with bare shoulders, plunging necklines, and flashes of skin revealed by transparent shorts, jersey, and cutout details.
Seduction is a dialogue. Tom Ford is a world of desire. It lures and seduces. To seduce means to bring someone close, drawing a gaze, enticing touch, stimulating senses, rewarding discovery with surprise and beauty.
Modernizing the Ford Legacy: Dialogue of Sensuality
Ackermann’s debut didn’t blindly replicate Ford’s hypersexual aesthetic; instead, he brought his own context of contemporary sensuality, tasteful and removed. As Ford once defined sexuality, Ackermann now explores the idea of sensuality. He admitted that the process has been more challenging than expected, as he continues to navigate the balance between his interpretation of sensuality and what Tom Ford once expressed as sexuality. Ackermann explained that while he understands the essence of both the man and the woman central to this vision, achieving that connection takes time and deliberate exploration, according to The New York Times.
Cinematic Campaign: Reflections, Color, and Mood
The Winter 2025 ad campaign, shot by Mark Kean, reflects a continuation of the cinematic approach, with mirrored surroundings, bold pastels, full blacks, and models cast for their noble personalities—Kristen McMenamy, Milan Bodemer, Julia Nobis, among others.
Ackermann describes the images as characters portraying a dignity in their demeanor that is poignant and suspended. Silhouettes are precise, lush, and carry an undercurrent of secrecy and privacy—themes Ackermann relishes.
The Critics’ View: Continuity and Change
Reviewers see Ackermann’s approach as both homage and departure. “The house of Ford is all about vanity,” Ackermann said. Ackermann’s restraint bare skin only implied, flashes of color amid black—signals both continuity and a winking new restraint. Indeed, Ford’s sultriness is paired with Ackermann’s romantic tailoring, meticulous details, and a relentless pursuit of what’s next.
The Promise: A Legacy Renewed
Haider Ackermann expressed his pride in carrying forward the legacy of Tom Ford, a designer he has long admired. He shared that he feels prepared to infuse the brand with his own creative vision while honoring the foundation that Tom Ford established. With his debut setting high expectations, both the audience and the broader fashion world eagerly anticipate what comes next.
