Tom Ford hasn’t wasted too much time. Less than two months after announcing the departure of its creative director Peter Hawkings, the US label has named as his successor Haider Ackermann, a designer who defies classification, renowned for his talent in shaping cuts and constructions.

“In his new role, Haider Ackermann will assume the creative leadership across all Tom Ford fashion categories, including menswear, womenswear, accessories, and eyewear, and will guide the creative vision for the overall brand”, stated in a press release Tom Ford, whose fashion business is now managed by Italian luxury group Ermenegildo Zegna.

Tom Ford was founded in 2005 by the eponymous Texan designer. It was sold at the end of 2022 for $2.3 billion to US beauty giant Estée Lauder, which since 2006 has been the licensee for Tom Ford Beauty. While Tom Ford’s fashion business is run by Zegna, the label’s eyewear collections have been licensed to Marcolin.

The designer chosen to write Tom Ford’s next chapter is above all a well-known name with a stellar CV, a regular at the major fashion weeks. Ackermann has in the past created and run his own brand, and collaborated with a wide variety of other labels. The goal is also to transform Tom Ford. Ackermann, a Frenchman of Colombian origin who loves to draw inspiration from multiple cultures, will need to strike the right balance between Tom Ford’s sexy-chic aesthetic and his own more sensual style. He will unveil his first collection with a show in Paris in March 2025.

Meanwhile, Ackermann has been lavished with praise by founder Tom Ford himself. “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 We share many of the same historical references, and I could not be more excited to see what he will do with the brand. I suspect that I will be the first on my feet to applaud after his show in March”, said Ford, who retired in 2022.

The appointment marks Ackermann’s come-back on the international fashion scene. He is renowned for his tailoring skills and draped volumes, and was also the creative director of Berluti between 2016 and 2018. In 2020, because of the pandemic, he was forced to suspend his own ready-to-wear label, set up in 2003. Afterwards, the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts graduate has featured in a string of collaborations, with Maison Ullens, Fila and Jean Paul Gaultier. In May, he was appointed creative director of Canadian parka specialist Canada Goose.