How do you design for a brand eponymously named after a living designer with a visceral visual identity? By introducing an equally visceral creative director, of course. As the second to take on Tom Ford’s role since his departure, Haider Ackermann has big shoes to fill: What is Tom Ford in an era where subtlety is secondary to shock value? Who is the Tom Ford clientele when sexiness has become more nuanced? And are overt displays of glamour tone-deaf in today’s society?

Turns out, Ackermann’s take on sexy offers a form of reprieve. Amid fashion’s game of musical chairs where appointments at other houses may appear jarring or lacklustre, this appointment plays on a different facet of sexiness—one draped with sensuality, leaving room for imagination. Forever relevant on the mood boards of fashion students and eBay archivists, Tom Ford’s design language echoes through Ackermann’s vision: powerful seduction but updated with poetic ease. In Winter 25, what pulls you in is not the high-octane, lusty gaze; but a more ineffable confidence rooted in razor-sharp tailoring and fluid drapes.

Rather than simply labelling the collection as bold, “not shy” feels more fitting — outerwear drapes over leather and silk shirts like broad brushstrokes, exuding languid ease, while Kryptonite-infused hues of citrus, lime and ultraviolet juxtapose fine suiting. The sex appeal that Ackermann establishes does not bear skin for the sake of it, it is about suggestion —  seen on low-slung trousers and the subtle unzip of a motorcycle jacket. At moments, ink-black leather tops, wrap tunics and column dresses that bear a minimalist impression sheath the body with allure rejecting the notion that clean lines must always feel monastic.

While clothes at Tom Ford have always been unapologetically direct and rarely overcomplicated, there is a level of intensity that positions itself as an aspiration and a challenge to live up to. Ackermann’s evocative approach to glamour makes for a new wave of sexiness that feels well-lived and devoid of artifice. If anything, it also goes to show that fashion is not just an arena for the young and new — the seasoned pros still have a lot to give. Why reheat someone else’s nachos when you can bake your own from scratch?