Desire and Theatricality: The New Era of Seduction
Among the most compelling collaborations of the season, the creative dialogue between Haider Ackermann and Tom Ford stands out. Following a debut that already marked a turning point, the SS26 collection presented at Paris Fashion Week confirms a mature encounter—a visual marriage that unites Tom Ford’s sensual legacy with Ackermann’s sophisticated and visionary approach.
The show unfolded with a deliberately nocturnal atmosphere, more theatrical than traditional runway. Mirrors and reflective surfaces amplified every movement, creating a luminous interplay that enhanced the models’ presence. The audience—including icons like Kate Moss and Rita Ora—witnessed an unconventional entrance: groups of models moving like actors on a stage rather than mannequins, a clear nod to the era of hedonistic, spectacular shows where fashion was a ritual of seduction and power.
The runway also featured Susie Cave, designer, entrepreneur, and former model, founder of the now-closed brand The Vampire’s Wife. Dressed in an all-white look—a key color of the SS26 collection—she illuminated the runway with elegance and modernity.
Seduction as a Vital Force
If Tom Ford has always made desire and sensuality the core of his language, Haider Ackermann captures that heritage and translates it into a new code. In his vision, seduction is not fleeting—it is a vital force, a continuous dialogue between those who watch and those who are watched. On the runway, models were far from distant figures; they engaged the audience with fluid, almost feline movements, filling the space with tension and mystery.
This erotic energy materializes in the garments. Fitted vinyl suits catch the light like sensual armor, long flowing dresses glide over the body like nocturnal waves, and cut-outs reveal skin in unexpected, precise ways. Footwear ranges from metallic-ring sandals to slender stilettos, adding a provocative edge balanced by a carefully curated color palette: dazzling whites, acidic greens, deep blues, and touches of powder pink and bright orange.
The climax of the show arrives with Vittoria Ceretti. Her long, deep-blue draped dress—almost black—moves like liquid under the moonlight. The glossy silk hugs her hips before flowing into soft, fluid folds that reflect light like a shimmering surface. This look perfectly encapsulates the collection: sensual yet controlled, theatrical yet intimate, embodying Ackermann’s vision—seduction as an existential state, a poetry of the body.
The Dialogue of Bodies
For SS26, Haider Ackermann chose a co-ed runway, placing men and women on equal aesthetic footing. Traditional gender distinctions disappear: men’s shirts become as light and transparent as women’s dresses, tailored suits soften to dialogue with flowing skirts, and sheer, revealing fabrics highlight the skin of both genders. It is a shared visual language built on fluidity and ambiguity: seduction has no gender, no fixed roles—it is simply a universal mode of expression.
The collection’s color palette reinforces this message. Whites, in various shades, create a neutral starting point, while vibrant accents punctuate the runway: glossy Klein blue, bright green that commands attention, soft pinks and warm oranges that lighten the mood, returning to deep black for depth and tension. Each hue becomes an emotion, a narrative tool to embody desire and materialize seduction.
Cinematic Echoes
The runway unfolds like a film rather than a traditional fashion show. Ackermann stages actors rather than models: their gazes engage the audience, their movements are slow, deliberate, and charged with intention. Every step feels like part of an invisible choreography, suspended between desire and mystery.
The soundtrack amplifies the cinematic effect. David Bowie’s haunting acapella of Heroes transforms the runway into a theatrical set, where each look becomes a pivotal scene. The result is fashion imbued with drama, pathos, and narrative tension.
Ackermann also pays homage to fashion history’s most radical moments: gravity-defying constructions, daring cut-outs echoing Rudi Gernreich, and sheer fabrics pushed to the edge. Yet his signature restraint ensures the line between provocation and vulgarity is never crossed, creating a finely calibrated balance—an elegant tension between extreme seduction and sophisticated restraint.
Beyond Personalism: Fashion as Union
The overarching message is clear: under Haider Ackermann’s direction, Tom Ford reaffirms that seduction is not an accessory—it is a vital condition. It is energy, presence, and the art of moving as if every gesture is an invitation. With SS26, the brand continues to define the boundaries of contemporary sensuality.
What makes this chapter particularly noteworthy is Ackermann’s ability to enter the maison’s history without imposing his ego. In an industry where designers often overshadow the brands they lead, here the opposite occurs: the creative director’s vision merges seamlessly with the house’s identity. It is a true collaboration, a successful marriage of legacy and innovation.
This harmony creates a rare scenario in today’s fashion landscape: a brand that does not merely tolerate a strong creative presence, but thrives under it. Ackermann neither erases Tom Ford nor imitates him; instead, he inherits and translates the legacy into a fresh language. The collection proves that when fashion transcends personalism, it can still tell the story of desire, capture the spirit of the times, and seduce with authenticity.
