Tom Ford showed Spring Summer 2026 in Paris fashion week with the overall mood of sleek and sensual, the keyword being desire.
In 2024, Haider Ackermann was named creative director, and he has kept the brand’s integrity. He brings a sense of intellectual luxury and a confident voice. His refined tailoring and mastery of drape seen on the runway shows introspection into the brands past while holding onto a modern feel. “Entering the house that Mr Tom Ford built, I was drawn to the man himself, whose personality reverberates through everything he envisioned. He is nightlife, I am the morning after: this is where our dance begins. Inside a chamber bathed in grey, with guests seated on plush benches, steamy mirrors all around bearing traces of the night before.” Ackermann stated in the show notes.
The collection emphasized high gloss and fluid drape by utilizing patient and polished leathers, silks, and mesh or sheer tulle. These choices align with Tom Ford’s aesthetic of seduction on a commercial level, balancing elegance with edge. The collection consisted of a few experiential pieces, which quite frankly, felt forced. I feel that the immaculate finishes and the sleek, seductive feel make a great fit for Paris; however, the clientele is back in New York. Tom Ford showing in Paris exhibits legitimacy in the brand’s techniques, but it is risky with the central buyers being in the US.
I believe Tom Ford should stay showing in Paris for at least four more seasons to establish the prestige of being a Paris luxury player; then return to its New York roots for collections that lean more ready-to-wear and commercial. There is no rush to get back to NYFW, but it’s Tom Ford’s DNA… and I think there will be more business for his sleek sex appeal approach in the US. – Maggie Walker Bachelder
Tom For Spring Summer 2026 by Haider Ackerman
