We’ve been getting edged all season. In Gucci’s skintight T-shirts on muscular bodies, in Saint Laurent’s silicone-sleeked lace, in Hodakova’s apron-trousers. In Haider Ackermann’s Tom Ford, we climax. Under a brand that bears the name of the American designer most known for sex (with a capital S and three Xs), there’s not much option left. And even with the chicest of erotic expectations in mind, Fall/Winter 2026 manages to surpass them.
Last season’s runway, bathed in blue night, is replaced by a sterile, bright catwalk where models saunter more than walk. Seduction is a slow-burning game. Because of it, the French designer opens the show with an unassuming look: a matching white set of a midi skirt and a sharply scalloped jacket. The model carries only one glove, hinting at what’s to come. Two pinstripe suits follow, shoulders perfectly sharp, trousers pooling just barely at the calf – tailoring still stands as Ackermann’s most recognisable strength.
And then, with not much warning besides a slightly cropped jumper, full lust. Asymmetrical-waisted trousers are seemingly held only by a thin belt, paired first with a baby tee and later with male models in knit sweaters and polka-dot shirts. Leather graduates from gloves and bags into full looks with tight dresses and croc-embossed skirts. In trousers, leather is held on the side of the leg by loose lacing, so that a single pull seems enough to disrobe them. Spotted animal prints follow, occupying everything from voluminous coats to the collars of bright cerulean shirts – one of the few pops of colour, the scarcity of which was noted for a designer who’s made it an intrinsic part of his language.
The absence of colour paled in comparison with the lack of opacity. Transparent plastic with black leather trim assumed many forms: a tight trench coat atop a structured suit, a skirt with nothing but tights under. The final looks, a series of white formal jackets paired with the previously mentioned (but whose significance is impossible to overstate) trousers, were worn with nothing underneath, the models’ chests peeking through as they walked. In life, everything is about sex, and Ackermann knows exactly how we like it.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
