What to Know About Haider Ackermann, Tom Ford's Creative Director
The designer's storied resume poises him to lead a new fashion era with finesse. See his designs from early 2000s to more recent ones, hinting at what's to come at Tom Ford.
Haider Ackermann has had a long, illustrious career in fashion, and his most recent appointment as Creative Director of Tom Ford (mere months after he was appointed to lead creative at Canada Goose) has the fashion world buzzing with excitement. The 53-year-old is poised to continue changing the course of the industry, and his backstory plays a key part of his vision.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1971, Ackermann was adopted by a French family and spent his upbringing in Ethiopia, Chad, and Algreria before his family settled in the Netherlands. Following his worldly upbringing, In 1994, Ackermann went to study fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp (which claims fashion legends like Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Demna Gvasalia, Martin Margiela, and more among its notable alumni).
At the turn of the century the then-young designer launched his eponymous womenswear label and brought his first self-financed collection to Paris Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2002 shows. By 2004, he was granted the Swiss Textile Award thanks to his increasing recognition for innovative and avant-garde designs.
In 2005, Ackermann gained financial backing for his label from the Belgian group BVBA 32, though eventually split in 2013 and continued to make huge waves independently in the 2010s. He designed and showed a one-off menswear collection for the renowned Pitti Immagine Uomo in 2010. It was around this time that Karl Lagerfeld said that he wished for Ackermann to be his successor at Chanel following his passing; a statement any designer could only dream of. He began to dress celebrities like Tilda Swinton, who's good friends with the designer. His clothing has been featured on the cover of Vogue multiple times.
Ackermann became the creative director for Berluti in 2016 where he delivered strong collections for three seasons before leaving in 2018. After, Timothée Chalamet and Ackermann forged a relationship that since led to some of Chalamet's most exciting looks. Of many looks Ackemann made for the actor, Chalamet's red ensemble worn at the Cannes the premiere of Bones and All in 2022 remains notable.
Ackermann served as the guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring 2023 Haute Couture collection, combining his dramatic yet muted aesthetic with the maximalism and signature motifs associated with the French fashion label. This moment helped boost Ackermann's name to even more discussions about a contender to take over creative direction at major houses with open posts. By May 2024, Canada Goose named him its first-ever creative director, but much more lied ahead.
In October of 2024, the announcement came that he'd serve as creative director of Tom Ford. His first show is set to debut March 2025 at Paris Fashion Week. Ackermann is a force to be reckoned with, appealing to both commerical and couture with a keen eye and skillful hand. After his long career, the designer's new chapter and forthcoming debut has the industry on its heels, full of excitement for a new vision.
