Aseptic, surgical, at times disturbing in its absolute and totalizing whiteness. Haider Ackermann, for this Fall/Winter 2026 collection by Tom Ford, presented this evening in the heart of Paris, invites us to immerse ourselves in a white that is disturbingly sexy, a cube where beginning and end are only imaginary points of reference, and which serves as a backdrop for a human conglomerate that traverses this scenario with a mysterious but inevitable gait, as if to suggest the rhythm of an everyday that you cannot stop, although sometimes stopping might prove to be a wise choice.
Luxurious and sinful sensuality does not let up either in this show, which, however, compared to Spring Summer 2026, also leaves us with a legacy of rigor that is almost chastened and, because of that, even more eager to be discovered. It is a constant tension between what is and what could be, between what is revealed and what remains secret. But also between masculine and feminine, which we find in the collection’s most identifying pair, between elements typical of men’s tailoring, such as suits and shirts tailoring, and those typical of more explicit femininity, such as exposed lingerie, tights, lace. All devoid of the affectation typical of a certain type of language of women’s wardrobe, but aligned and adapted to a more exquisitely edgy vision, and even the most fragile and delicate garments become part of a more complex armor, where the highly polished pvc allows itself to be pierced through and allows a glimpse of what is underneath, which therefore remains untouchable. Between atmospheres reminiscent of American Psycho and an office of the 1990s where the most extreme minimalism reigns supreme, looks in full office-core style alternate with sumptuous black-and-white outerwear and Dalmatian prints, like a true contemporary Cruella De Mon, while sky-high heels sway the silhouette with eerie grace.
The casting is diverse in beauty and age, but united by a one-way common thread: captivating faces unique in their quiet drama, emphasized by graphic make-ups with scarlet lips and deep eggplant purple. And again, total white looks luxurious in their ordinary elegance, masculine tailoring decoded both through more daily looks, such as those with pastel-toned striped shirts and impeccable chocolate coats, and in evening outings, where perhaps a few too many glitters brushed the border with excess, but nevertheless emanating pure hedonism. And again, typical elements of the classic tuxedo reinterpreted in an erotic key, with white satin vests showing the body and classic pants with cut-out details embellished with mini leather belts on the hip. And on the finale, with the iconic 90s hit “Sweet Harmony” by The Beloved, an invitation to deeper reflection: “Let’s come together, right now, oh yeah, in sweet harmony,” because, as the song says, we are all looking for a better world to belong to. Tom Ford’s white, this evening, was therefore not only a choice of pure aesthetic style, but also of a ‘non-color’ that becomes a refuge or a prison of a thousand possibilities to live. The choice is up to all of us.
[📷Instagram: tomford]
