01IN 2010, ASKED WHO SHOULD ONE DAY TAKE HIS PLACE, KARL LAGERFELD
NAMED HAIDER ACKERMANN. IT WAS ABOUT THE HIGHEST COMPLIMENT IN
FASHION, FROM ITS REIGNING KING. AND THEN, FOR YEARS AND YEARS,
ALMOST NOTHING CAME OF IT AT ALL.
02ACKERMANN WAS A DESIGNER'S DESIGNER: COLOMBIAN-BORN, FRENCH-
TRAINED, WORSHIPPED BY INSIDERS FOR HIS DRAPE AND COLOUR AND
LIQUID TAILORING. THE CRITICS ADORED THE CLOTHES. THE BIG JOB, THE
ONE LAGERFELD HINTED AT, KEPT GOING TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
03HE RAN HIS OWN LABEL, THEN A SHORT AND BEAUTIFUL SPELL AT BERLUTI,
THEN STEPPED BACK ALTOGETHER. FOR A WHILE HAIDER ACKERMANN WAS
A NAME FASHION PEOPLE SIGHED OVER IN THE PAST TENSE, THE GREAT
DESIGNER THE SYSTEM SOMEHOW COULD NOT FIND A CHAIR FOR.
04THEN, IN 2024, TOM FORD CALLED. THE HOUSE ITS FOUNDER HAD SOLD FOR
BILLIONS NEEDED A CREATIVE DIRECTOR WITH REAL HANDS AND REAL
TASTE. ACKERMANN GOT IT, AND THE PART OF FASHION THAT HAD ALWAYS
BELIEVED IN HIM EXHALED ALL AT ONCE.
05HIS DEBUT TOM FORD SHOWED IN PARIS IN 2025. NOT THE BRAND'S OLD
HIGH-GLOSS SLEAZE BUT SOMETHING SOFTER AND MORE PRECISE,
ACKERMANN'S DRAPE MEETING TOM FORD'S SEX. A DIFFERENT ACCENT ON
A FAMILIAR LANGUAGE, AND UNMISTAKABLY HIS OWN.
06SOME VINDICATIONS ARRIVE SLOWLY. LAGERFELD SAW IT IN 2010, THE
INDUSTRY MADE HIM WAIT, AND FOURTEEN YEARS LATER ACKERMANN
FINALLY HAS A HOUSE THE SIZE OF THE TALENT. LATE, YES. BUT
UTTERLY UNARGUABLE.