"Entering the house that Mr. Tom Ford built, I was drawn to the man himself, whose personality reverberates through everything he envisioned. He is nightlife, I am the morning after: this is where our dance begins."
Haider Ackermann revealed his debut collection for Tom Ford during Paris Fashion Week on 5 March. Oozing seduction and sensuality, themes of the House that are deeply engrained, the collection is inspired by the allure of private clubs and the mystery of those that venture to its darkened corners. Ackermann challenges the notion of sensuality - "Sensuality is a feeling of beauty," says the designer in the show notes - through a curation that champions facets of femininity and demonstrates that one can be as seductive in a draped, skin-baring gown as in sharp-shouldered tailoring. Reinterpreted as it may be, hallmarks of seduction were infused throughout - leather, for instance, was abundant in separates, biker jackets, trenches and gloves.
The predominantly black-and-grey collection (because, well, it is Tom Ford after all), is interrupted by traditionally Tom Ford silhouettes drenched in brights ranging from pastels to blinding neon. "The ease of pure lines [is] empowered by the full blast of colour... colours of joy," Ackermann explains. The menswear offering didn't shy away from colour, either. Impeccable tailoring burst onto the runway in blues, purples and mint, with pared-back black suiting sprinkled with shimmer.
In-keeping with subtleties that seduce - understated Ts arrive on heels, jewels and belts, like a hidden message that you can only see from up-close.
Here's to Tom Ford's new era.
