Protected Perfection
Review of Tom Ford Fall 2026 Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
Tom Ford continued its evolution under Haider Ackermann with a study in controlled seduction. Set against a stark white showspace, models drifted across the runway with deliberate nonchalance, their ease heightening the razor-sharp precision of the clothes. With a subtle undercurrent of perversion, that nodded to the house’s sensual DNA, applied this season.
Ackermann understands that the Tom Ford woman (and man) moves through a world where polish means power, and even the most “everyday” ensemble must qualify for consideration.
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Sharp Seduction, Peep Show, Magnified Lifestyle
The models at the Tom Ford fall show meandered across the stark white showspace with a non-chalant attitude that was in contrast to the sharp structure of the clothes.
As if navigating a very fashionable cross-walk there was what felt like a synchronised dance of dialogue throughout the show, as it said in the notes this was a magnified sense of daily life. With each look the ultimate version of an everyday ensemble, as this is after all, Tom Ford. In Haider Ackermann’s collections so far, there has been a true understanding that the Tom Ford woman leads a full life and requires clothes that will take her from day-to-night and protect her five-figure coat while doing so, hence the addition of vinyl macs so said coat can still be displayed even in the rain. This is why for fall there were knitted sets in grass green, utility jackets in khaki and a satin bomber for an easy throw-on. His inclusion of denim will be welcomed by the customer who will be able to round-out their wardrobes, with the especially good high-waisted straight fit for men and the slouchy jean for women, refreshingly worn by an older model to show the reality, if we’re being honest, of the Tom Ford customer who lives a bold life.
Tailoring was a key consideration throughout the collection with an 80s sensibility to the graphic pinstripes and pink shirts with leather tie for men, and strict pencil skirts in crocodile leather and all-white wool coats with co-ordinating straight-cut trousers to match for his womens offer. These looks meant business – literally and metaphorically – and offered a purity in their form while still creating an underlying tension.
There was something to the use of transparent vinyl as a way to preserve and protect, but also to peer under the layers to create a sense of perversion. This felt like an exciting avenue that Ackermann should purse in the coming seasons as the strict nature and pointed perfection that comes with a Tom Ford collection definitely lends itself to a new level of seduction.
THE WRAP UP
Haider Ackermann has a firm grip on who the Tom Ford customer is and what they want from the brand, even from a lifestyle perspective, a definitive sharpness needs to be applied to even the most casual of silhouettes. And from his denim to his eveningwear and clear vinyl skirts and macs a slight perversion came through which perfectly aligned for the season.
