Haider Ackermann is the new creative director of Tom Ford, effective today. “It is with tremendous pride that I will seek to honor the legacy of Tom Ford, a man I have long admired and have the utmost respect for,” said Ackermann in a statement released this morning as he was named in the role by Ford’s owner, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc (ELC).
Photo: Ethan James Green
“We are thrilled to welcome Haider Ackermann to Tom Ford,” William P. Lauder, executive chairman of ELC, said in a statement to Vogue Business: “Haider’s appointment strengthens our ambitions for this enormously successful brand. His unique and insightful vision will further enhance the house’s global impact on fashion and culture.” Ford, who founded his eponymous brand in 2005, stepped down in 2023 following its $2.8 billion sale to ELC the previous year.
Ackermann, who was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and adopted by a French family, will be based in his home city of Paris, the brand said today. His role makes him responsible for shaping all of Tom Ford’s fashion output, including womenswear, menswear, accessories and eyewear. He will also “guide the creative vision for the overall brand”, the company’s statement added. The first full view of his interpretation of the codes established and refined by Ford will be revealed in Paris next March at a runway show during the AW25 edition of Paris Fashion Week.
One person already requesting his ticket for that show is Tom Ford himself, who greeted today’s news warmly. He said: “I have long been a great fan of Haider’s work. I find both his womenswear and menswear equally compelling. He is an incredible colourist, his tailoring is sharp, and above all, he is modern. We share many of the same historical references, and I could not be more excited to see what he does with the brand. I suspect that I will be the first on my feet to applaud after his show in March.”
Following Ford’s graceful exit, the…
