By Jesse Scott
It’s a new era for Tom Ford. That refrain may sound familiar; after all, it’s only been a calendar year since Haider Ackermann launched his inaugural collection for this house. Yet it nonetheless rings true, as Ackermann continues to evolve his aesthetic and lead the house that Tom built through an exciting new contemporary era.
Gone Are the Days of Debauchery
Ackermann’s first show for Tom Ford was a celebration of raw desire that only intensified during a second season dripping in sultry leather and lacquer. However, this season sent a clear message that the days of pure debauchery are over. Ford always hosts one of the most intimate shows of Paris Fashion Week, indeed serving as the gold standard for curating immersive experiences in which color, sound, and even fragrance dance in perfect synchronization with the clothes on the runway. For A/W 26/27, instead of filing into a gun-metal, black or sumptuous blue Place Vendôme space, guests were surprised to discover themselves in an almost blindingly white room that seemed both clinical and dare I say, coy. Like a reformed party girl who has swapped pulsing clubs with Pilates and martinis with matcha, Ackermann has, in his words, attained “a magnified sense of daily life.” The new Tom Ford protagonist is old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway, and wise enough do it selectively. She is mature but also possesses some of the new Gen Z sensibility that celebrates a 9:00 p.m. bedtime instead of staying out all night. And, given a luxury market split between generations that grew up with Paris Hilton and those who came of age to a clean girl aesthetic, it’s an astute balance to strike.
Contemporary Cocooning
The collection was described to guests as both “hard and soft, sharp and cocooning.” While I checked the show notes a few times to ensure that Tom Ford and “cocooning” should be mentioned in the same article, these contrasting concepts are indeed the best way to epitomize the show. Opening looks alternated between black and white ensembles illustrating an ingeniously harmonious dichotomy between precise tailoring and effortlessly cozy draping. Later on, entirely transparent trenches, coats, sweaters and even skirts - the collection’s key innovations - appeared with everything from leather jackets to sheer tights to pinstripe suits in Looks 17-21.
Tom Ford Autumn/Winter 2026: Looks 17-21 (Images courtesy of Tom Ford)
Ackermann introduced a new vocabulary that made the corporate seductive and seductive corporate; it’s a lexicon that, as someone comfortable operating between both spaces, I was surprised and pleased to see on the runway this season. Ties and dress shirts, generally both worn tucked into office-ready trousers such as in Look 15 and 23, proposed a distinctively contemporary way to make a traditional uniform capitalized Fashion. A luxurious camel double-breasted suit, with wide lapels recalling the age of Patrick Bateman, reminded us that 90s are back in Look 43. Meanwhile, the fringes on leather pants in Look 35 brought an unexpected whimsy to what was otherwise one of the collection’s edgiest looks.
Tom Ford Autumn/Winter 2026: Looks 15, 23, 35, 43 (Images courtesy of Tom Ford)
Ackermann, as always, demonstrated his mastery in using discerning pops of bright color. My personal favorite ensemble was Look 44 as a bright red jacket and pencil skirt, cinched in hourglass shape by a high-waisted belt and completed by signature black leather gloves. This was immediately followed by a slouchy sweater in a delightful shade of emerald in Look 45.
Tom Ford Autumn/Winter 2026: Looks 44, 45 (Images courtesy of Tom Ford)
Seduction, Not Sex Appeal for the new Tom Ford Sophisticate
Tom Ford fragrances, most notably last season’s Oud Voyageur, have traditionally smelled like luxury, trouble, and the best kind of bad decisions. This season welcomed a new era of subtle seduction with the Eau de Grey vetiver. With opening notes including lemon, bergamot and cedar wood giving way to a smooth vetiver musk, the fragrance is a perfect metaphor for Ackermann’s new Tom Ford protagonist, who once flirted with (or fully embraced) the rhythm of the night but now “stands straight,” with glossy eyes. It’s a brave new era. And as Ackermann’s vision for the house unfolds with steady hand and innovative twists, it leaves us waiting with bated breath for what’s next.