Haider Ackermann appointed creative director of Tom Ford

Back-to-school is a good time for fashion house appointments. This year is no exception. On Wednesday, September 4, the Tom Ford brand appointed Haider Ackermann as artistic director. An unexpected choice, but rather rational when you look at it closely.

On one side, there is Tom Ford, an American brand founded in 2005 by the charismatic Texan who gave it his name. A fan of sexy, conquering fashion, with a slightly bling-bling seventies scent, he managed to establish a style all his own, which has continued even after he left his house, which was sold to the Estée Lauder group in 2022 for $2.3 billion.

His successor, Peter Hawkings, who was his right-hand man for over twenty years, did not seek to do anything other than Tom Ford during his short reign. Was it because he knew he was confined to an interim role? His announced departure in July 2024, after only two (honest) fashion shows, surprised the industry.

Promising career

Haider Ackermann, for his part, is a seasoned 53-year-old designer. Born in Colombia, adopted by an Alsatian family, he grew up between France, Africa and the Netherlands. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, he began a very promising career: helped by designer Raf Simons, he launched his brand in 2001 and immediately enjoyed critical success.

In the 2010s, his name kept coming up when artistic director positions at major fashion houses became available: he was tipped to succeed John Galliano at Dior, Karl Lagerfeld cited him as his ideal heir at Chanel… Finally, in 2016, he took over at Berluti, a smaller fashion house. The adventure was cut short when the LVMH group brand replaced him without ceremony with Kris Van Assche in 2018.

After this unsuccessful experience, in recent years, his star had faded a little. Haider Ackermann has multiplied heterogeneous collaborations: he was a creative consultant for Maison Ullens, signed a haute couture show for Jean Paul Gaultier, designed a collection for the sports equipment manufacturer Fila… In May 2024, he even became creative director of Canada Goose – a position he still holds, assures the down jacket manufacturer, which is delighted to see him also courted by Tom Ford.

Growth ambitions

Will Haider Ackermann reveal his full potential within the American brand? It’s possible. His taste for pure silhouettes and bold colors, his ease in tailoring are entirely compatible with Tom Ford’s DNA, to whom he could bring a dose of poetry and subtlety that is sometimes lacking. Haider Ackermann also has the advantage of being an expert in this very American science of the red carpet: he is close to certain actors whom he has often dressed, such as Tilda Swinton or Timothée Chalamet. The red jumpsuit with an open back worn by the latter, which set the web alight in 2022, was designed by Ackermann.

The fact remains that the designer has never really proven himself in a house other than his own. Will he be comfortable within the American label that makes no secret of its growth ambitions? Will he be able to work with the Italian firm Zegna, to whom Estée Lauder has entrusted the exploitation of the Tom Ford ready-to-wear line?

Founder Tom Ford, who no longer has any connection to the house that bears his name, was enthusiastic: “I’ve been a fan of Haider’s work for a long time. I find his womenswear and menswear fascinating. He’s an incredible colorist. His tailoring is clean and resolutely modern. We share many references and I can’t wait to see what he does with the brand,” he said in a press release. To find out if he had a good nose, we will have to wait until Paris Fashion Week in March 2025.