The art of seduction in Tom Ford’s SS26 collection A collection that blurs many boundaries without ever being transgressive

If you still think that day and night cannot shine simultaneously, that it is impossible for sexy and chic to coexist in harmony and that desirability rhymes with vulgarity, Haider Ackerman will prove you wrong. It was against a midnight blue backdrop and lulled by David Bowie’s a cappella voice that the SS26 of Tom Ford, Ackerman’s second collection for the American house, unveiled itself yesterday before our enchanted eyes. A collection of silhouettes woven with desire and imbued with an allure that reeks of the private club, the one you glimpse from afar, that you crave, that you want to experience, but whose entry must be earned. At Tom Ford, seduction is a dialogue. A polyglot dialogue, judging by this SS26, that is not limited by language barriers to enchant, seduce, and above all conquer. The first looks to take steps on the runway quickly set the tone: the collection would be sexy but not vulgar, chic but not boring, enigmatic, almost unattainable and yet perfectly within reach.

The collection indeed opens with a trio of glamorous and mysterious looks, composed of shiny trench coats buttoned up to the chin, paired with simple yet effective pumps. Then comes a pure white, immaculate, almost abstract, presented in suits sometimes covering, sometimes revealing. Following in a deep yet controlled contrast is the intensity of colors, like pine green and violet, applied to jackets in equally dense velvet, which, however, soon give way to black, leather, a dark side into which one would let oneself be drawn without resistance or objection. Frivolity soon returns, however, with transparent micro-shorts, bare slips, opalescent skirts, or open shirts. The back-and-forth between formal and informal is constant, yet motion sickness never sets in. The line between what must be hidden and what may be revealed is thin, dangerous, and yet the fear of crossing it does not exist. The sphere of the home, of the private and the party, intermingle, giving us the impression that one constantly invites itself into the other without ever overstaying its welcome. In just a few looks, the runway transforms into a private lounge, a nightclub, a bedroom, even an office, yet every silhouette seems fit for the occasion.

The collection focuses on a vertical silhouette, precise, in an almost architectural rigor that is regularly broken by sensual details that never fail to catch the eye and spark desire, such as unexpected slits, touches of lace, or bold accessories, notably a visible leather bra or metal rings adorning sandals. The color palette is also subject to desirability, with its "colors of joy" in the form of bright and luminous pastels on statement pieces that nonetheless retain the simplicity of a t-shirt. Of course, grey and absolute black remain essentials, faithful to the house’s historic identity.

As Ackerman explains: “There is dignity in purity, in the act of taking away rather than adorning, in turning decoration into architectural shapes that complement or subtly accessorize the body.” In this second collection, the designer proves that less is definitely more, and that good taste resides precisely in measure and balance, without slipping into excessive control. From long dresses with clean lines to the most alluring slips, via shorts that almost resemble swimwear to three-piece suits, Ackerman succeeds in reaching the perfect level of revelation, leaving just enough fabric to make us want to see more, without showing what need not be revealed. Like a private party scented with expensive champagne and silk, Tom Ford’s SS26 is a celebration that begins in the morning and ends late at night, an ode to the lightness of being, of body and spirit. With this collection, Ackerman thus proves that sexy can also represent the quintessence of chic. Seduction is no longer taboo, it is no longer subject to judgment, it is an open dialogue, within reach, in which everyone wants to take part, even if it means talking over one another.