According to Haider Ackermann, he doesn’t overthink – or even much consciously contemplate – the direction of his collections. They just happen. One concession, however, was that he wanted to create clothes that felt “inhabited” this time around. Certainly, these were clothes with personality: languidly and romantically Haider-ish, of course, with many hinted at but mostly hidden depths.
The prettily faded floral-patterned underside of a popped revere on a soft but tailored drill jacket and the liner below it disguised what looked like a khaki shirt and pant pairing below; in fact, this was a boilersuit whose top and bottom were connected only at the back. A flower-strewn black silk robe was worn above a long, sleeveless liner which itself was lined with a zigzag golden yellow silk quilting.
Along with a made in Italy but Japanese-looking blossom floral, that quilting was a touchstone of the collection. There were two superb bombers, one black, the other a faded yellowy green in palm brocade velvet; these were key pieces in a high-and-fitted silhouette against which Ackermann countered his robe-topped looser looks.
Interspersed amongst the menswear were pieces from women’s Pre-Fall that ran from an artfully battered military look in what looked like light boiled wool to a sharply handsome floral-patterned monochrome suit. Etched into one of the men’s belts were the words: “Hold on to me.” There was a lot here to hold on to, happily.
This article first appeared on Vogue.com.
