Pinstripes, white shirts and military-flecked tailoring, with a dash of sultry evening wear. Haider Ackermann meant business with a show of classic, dark-edged clothing, which the designer said mirrored the times.
“It’s about standing straight in life, facing everything that’s happening in this world. Before, there was a kind of debauchery. They had another life,” said Ackermann, referring to his models, who walked in a spare white show space at Place Vendôme. “Then – suddenly – there they are, standing straight, facing it all honestly.”
Ackermann who was, as always, mobbed by colleagues and fans following the show, also talked about getting back to basics. “We’re living in quite a violent world where everybody has a very loud voice, screaming and shouting and telling lies. There’s a lack of humility in this world. But we’re all human. We may be different, but we all want the same thing, so let’s come together,” he said.
His solution was to double down on the brand’s signature tailoring with a lineup of dark pinstripe suits, some worn with white neckties or rosettes on their sharp lapels. There were stripes, too, for dress shirts with an ’80s power edge. Some came with contrasting collars, including a black-and-white Dalmation print, which added a dash of humor.
Even the high-waist jeans had rigor, with tuxedo stripes running down the sides.
Ackermann layered transparent plastic raincoats over many of those suits. Perhaps it was his answer to the dismal weather in much of Europe earlier this year, or a sign that people need as much protection as they can get.
The women’s looks were just as classic, but more soft-edged. Kristen McMenamy walked out wearing a boxy gray suit dusted with sparkles and carrying a pair of long gloves, while other models were dressed in cropped military jackets paired with pencil skirts or sharp-edged A-line coats with black-and-white Dalmation spots.
Ackermann dressed his women in protective plastic, too, transparent coats and even skirts, some of which were fused with croc. He even turned them into funny hats that resembled the plastic Elizabethan collars that dogs often wear after surgery.
There was a softness to the beefy knits paired with leather skirts in caramel or olive, leather trousers with whipstitching down the legs and roomy bathrobe coats. Unlike past seasons, evening looks were minimal, and included a black gown edged with fluttery fabric shaped like bat wings, a nod to these dark days.
