Tom Ford Brings Executive Realness to Paris Fashion Week

2 min read

Did someone say the late ’90s are back? After a New York Fashion Week studded with Carolyn Bessette Kennedy references and sleek minimalism, followed by a Gucci show that nodded (or really, winked Demna-style) to the house’s Tom Ford era, Paris Fashion Week brought us a Tom Ford collection that transported us back to the era—with detours through corpcore and jet-set glamour. Not to mention one of the decade’s icons, Kate Moss, sitting front row.

Rather than walk down a runway, models wandered through a minimalist all-white space, mingling and strolling like extras in a stylish music video. They sported high-gloss leather skirts and dresses, lace accents, and layered knits. Designer Haider Ackermann played with all things transparent, from sheer button-downs to clear jackets, skirts, and trenches with an American Psycho slickness. Even the clear rain hat got a rare runway outing. He also paid homage to the house’s founder with seriously low-cut trousers accentuated by a slim leather strap.

Androgyny was another cornerstone, with pinstriped power suits on models of all genders—but those suits sparkled. And two scalloped black gowns offered a spikier take on traditional eveningwear.

Ackermann’s strong color sense was on full display: hues of jade, scarlet, and eggplant enlivened an array of mostly black, white, and gray. And the models’ unusual shades of matte lipstick provided a punchy counterpoint (not to mention further proof of the demise of clean-girl makeup.)

One of the most refreshing aspects of the show: the chronologically diverse casting. Models of all ages were included, with ’90s icon Kristen McMenamy making a particularly memorable cameo that made it feel like 1997 all over again.

Véronique Hyland is ELLE’s Fashion Features Director and the author of the book Dress Code, which was selected as one of The New Yorker’s Best Books of the Year. Her writing has previously appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, W, New York magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Condé Nast Traveler.