Beyond his consistent way with a snug jacket—sleeves pushed up past the elbows, a flourish at the neck and waist—another thing that has defined Haider Ackermann's work is his mastery of color. He tends not to emphasize print on the runway, but it came to the fore today, and it invigorated a Fall collection that was otherwise quite dark. Leopard spots decorated a tie-neck blouse; graphic black and white checks appeared on slim tapering pants; a polka-dot scarf was tied at the neck of an understated maxi coat.
Topping it all off were fitted jackets and coats in glinting metallic tweed bouclé, the tweed simultaneously lending the collection a boyish and more sumptuous vibe. Among the best tweed pieces was a gold-toned jacket cut away at the sides, worn over a Lurex-shot blouse and black tapered trousers. It had an everyday approachability that, with his louche style, Ackermann has sometimes neglected.
That's not to say that this most romantic of designers has gone banal on us. To the contrary, a lot of the pieces were crosshatched with heavy white stitching, as if they'd been in the family for years and had quite suddenly required some at-home mending. Ackermann is that rare breed of designer who is utterly unhitched from current trends. The asymmetrically slung, pleated kilts he showed today will play well amidst Fall's miniskirt boomlet, but that seems a mere coincidence. The outfit that showcased his real talents was a red velvet pantsuit brushed with gold leaf. For one thing, there was its sensational color; for another, it looked virtually timeless.
For Tim Blanks' take on Haider Ackermann, watch this video.
