Haider Ackermann’s Tom Ford Wins Big: Kindness, Silence and the New Rules of Seduction

3 min read

Part of today’s What You Missed: Wednesday, Oct 28.

The hook

226.4 million euros. That is what Tom Ford Fashion brought in during the nine months to Sept. 30, up 3.5 percent, according to WWD. On Tuesday night in New York, the designer behind it, Haider Ackermann, took the WWD Honor for Womenswear Designer of the Year. His interview with WWD, published Oct. 27, is one of the quietest and most quotable reads of the season.

What happened

• The award. Ackermann, was named Womenswear Designer of the Year at the WWD Honors on Oct. 27, per WWD.
• The business. WWD reports Tom Ford Fashion, which the Ermenegildo Zegna Group runs under a long-term license, posted revenue of 226.4 million euros in the nine months to Sept. 30, up 3.5 percent, with third-quarter sales up 5.4 percent to 69.6 million euros. Vogue Business reported the same quarterly figure on Oct. 22 and called Tom Ford “a growing industry favorite on the fashion week calendar” under Ackermann.
• The backstory. WWD notes he was named creative director in 2024, and that he reportedly declined jobs at Maison Margiela and Dior because his “own language does not belong there,” until the call came “from Mr. Ford himself, and that sets the tone immediately.”

The best lines, verbatim from WWD

• On luxury: “Silence is kind of a luxury, and taking the time is a luxury. These are my luxuries.”
• On hiring: asked what he looks for in an associate, he answered, “Perhaps something that is not related to fashion at all: kindness.”
• On seduction: “I’m perhaps drawn to a much more discreet kind of seduction than Mr. Ford himself was.”
• On men’s red carpets: “What you see nowadays on the red carpet for men is sometimes, even though I played a part in it, it’s sometimes a bit frightening because it becomes too much.”
• On what’s next: “I think at some point jewelry should grow into the world of Mr. Ford.”

Where to watch the work

The house posted its Spring/Summer 2027 show video on YouTube, and the runway channel Fashion Feed posted its own Paris Fashion Week cut. For the human story, LA Times Studios has a short on the first time Ackermann met Tom Ford.

Why people care

Ackermann is the rare designer who took over a founder’s name without imitating him, and the numbers are moving in the right direction while much of luxury is shrinking. A Financial Times report republished by CNA Luxury says Europe’s top luxury groups have lost about 250 billion euros in market value this year. Growth, even modest growth, stands out.

What it means for you

• LA has a new place to look. WWD’s story includes a photo of the new Tom Ford Fashion store at South Coast Plaza, a drive south for anyone who wants to try the tailoring.
• Tailoring over flash. If his thinking is the direction of the season, the move is one exceptional suit or gown in a strong color, not a closet of statement pieces.
• Men, edit. When the designer who helped push the bold men’s carpet says it can become “too much,” take the hint: one daring piece per look.

Our take (opinion)

The most radical thing in fashion right now might be a designer who talks about kindness and silence. Ackermann’s Tom Ford is quieter than the original, and that restraint is exactly why it feels new. Expect LA stylists to pull it hard for awards season.

Sources

• WWD, Oct. 26, 2026 (PT): Haider Ackermann on Taking on Tom Ford Fashion
• Vogue Business, Oct. 22, 2026: Zegna Q3 Revenues Boosted By Americas and China Growth
• Back to today’s roundup: What You Missed: Wednesday, Oct 28

Photo: Headline screenshot of Vogue Business’ Zegna earnings report, Oct. 22, 2026, linked above.

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