“I wanted the images to be pure and direct, stark but trembling with human substance.”
This is a quote from Tom Ford’s press release, spoken by creative director Haider Ackermann when describing the brand’s Fall/Winter 2026 campaign. And the words strike a chord with the viewer.
Looking at the photographs and the campaign video, statuesque models—stunning in their austere yet magnetic solemnity—move slowly in front of the camera. A tall man stands next to a seated woman, in a subtle tension that nonetheless resonates through the lens. They know each other; they are together, yet distant—each lost in their own thoughts, in their own solitude and contemplation—until they become aware of your presence and, without a hint of hesitation, turn their gaze slowly toward you. It is neither questioning nor judgmental, nor even curious: it is seductive. The suits they are wearing—a midnight-blue pinstripe for her, a black suit for him—hug their bodies and emphasize their long legs: impeccable, they themselves become objects of desire, a cloak of confidence that separates them from themselves and then from us, the viewers.
A campaign made up of encounters and silences, of austerity and sexiness—a “study of personality,” as Ackermann himself defines it—striking a balance between control and recklessness. The collection moves along that fine line—a signature Tom Ford aesthetic that Ackermann interprets with mastery, one that knows no gender or age. The looks play with a restrained sensuality—featuring an unbuttoned shirt that offers a glimpse of bare skin, sky-high heels and double-breasted blazers with sharp corners, silk vests studded with tiny buttons, and sharply tailored suits. The men’s austere shirts and stiff collars create silhouettes with the feel of architecture that is both cold and warm, rigorous and sensual at the same time.
A charm that transcends gender, a balance that has become the brand’s trademark—and one that, with fierce determination, seems unwilling to take sides, even in this new season.
[📷 Courtesy of Tom Ford]
