Rarely does a fashion show leave an audience buzzing with palpable desire, let alone any event these days. With so much overt sensuality normalized, it takes something truly special to stir deep longing. Yet, the Tom Ford show on Wednesday night achieved just that, generating an almost tangible wave of excitement.
Haider Ackermann’s latest dual-gender collection for Tom Ford, presented in a dimly lit space with a reflective, pool-like floor where models gracefully stalked, tapped into a profound sense of allure that has long been overlooked.
Tom Ford’s legacy is synonymous with overt, often brazen, sexuality. Famously, Mr. Ford once integrated a shaved ‘G’ into a model’s pubic hair for a provocative ad campaign at Gucci and made glittery pasties a key feature in his own label’s party wear. However, such explicit exhibitionism has, over time, lost its shock value and become rather commonplace.
In an era where celebrities like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter pose provocatively for album art, the ‘no pants’ trend dominates the Met Gala, and public figures like Lauren Sánchez Bezos embrace lacy corsets for high-profile events, what once felt daring now risks becoming a tired pop culture cliché.
This context made Miguel Castro Freitas’s debut at Mugler a prime opportunity. While Mugler is currently more recognized for its iconic fragrance, Angel, than its apparel, lacking the high-profile buzz of brands like Gucci, Dior, or Versace during designer transitions, the house once famously championed a distinct allure. It masterfully blended camp and glamour to present a unique vision of female empowerment through fashion, and there was a chance to revive that spirit.
However, Mr. Freitas heavily rehashed archival themes, showcasing exaggerated linebacker shoulders, severely cinched waists, rigid straight skirts, and an abundance of latex and leather. Occasional straps, sheer elements, and fringe appeared, often accompanied by exposed nipples. One particularly notable, star-spangled gown was even suspended from the model’s nipple rings—a collection fittingly named ‘Stardust Aphrodite.’
Many designers still mistakenly believe visible nipples signify the ultimate in audacious fashion. In reality, they often simply make models appear chilly, and the garments themselves can feel rather passé – no pun intended. The true artistry lies in encapsulating a brand’s core essence, not merely replicating its past forms.
This is precisely why Mr. Ackermann, a master of dark romanticism in fashion, skillfully traded overt sexuality for nuanced suggestion at Tom Ford. He deliberately eschewed the typical, social-media-driven runway spectacle for a setting designed to highlight the garments and the live audience experience. This choice allowed him to emphasize not just the potential of these suits, dresses, and intimate pieces, but the profound artistry in how they are meant to be worn.
Set to the evocative, almost lingering strains of David Bowie’s ‘Heroes,’ the presentation was deeply intimate. Models frequently moved in close proximity, eschewing rigid formations, exchanging glances with each other and occasionally meeting the audience’s gaze with an intense, unspoken longing. Their interactions conveyed a powerful, almost tangible desire to connect.
This atmosphere proved infectious. A model in a flowing white silk garment – was it a coat, a dress, or a peignoir? – paused at the runway’s edge, creating a moment heavy with anticipation. The audience instinctively wondered if she might untie her belt… She didn’t, but that potent sense of ‘what if’ was a rare triumph, leaving everyone yearning for more.
His collection featured tightly belted trench coats that, while concealing, were crafted from gleaming patent leather cut to resemble mesh. As the body moved, it created alluring shadows that sculpted the curves beneath. Even the tailoring, presented in Ackermann’s distinctive palette of peony, lime, baby blue, and sapphire alongside timeless black and white, exuded a subtle, irresistible promise.
This wasn’t simply due to the tiny black bras often worn beneath the jackets. Instead, it was the masterful cut of the jackets and trousers, which avoided both the season’s ubiquitous oversized silhouettes and overly restrictive skinny fits. They elegantly framed the body, celebrating its form while leaving an enticing element to the imagination.
Of course, subtlety wasn’t entirely abandoned. Wispy lace lingerie dresses with deliberately long straps, men’s leather thongs paired with minimalist nylon athletic shorts, and G-strings beneath sheer dresses offered more direct nods to Tom Ford’s earlier, more explicit aesthetic.
Yet, true ingenuity shone in pieces like the long black tunic, featuring a clean round neck and cap sleeves worn over pink trousers, which dramatically opened to reveal an entirely bare back – cleverly held in place by the sleeves as a hook. Another highlight was the tabard gown, designed to gracefully loop around the body, offering fleeting glimpses of celadon silk with every movement. The collection culminated with a striking black dress, its bodice formed by a broad strap that sensuously climbed the torso, wrapping over one breast to clasp the other at the neck, mimicking the delicate embrace of a scarf or a hand. The collection dared to ask: Can you truly feel this new vision of allure?