At Tom Ford, Seduction Takes the Lead

2 min read

Tom Ford, the man, may no longer stand at the helm, but seduction still reverberates through Tom Ford, the brand. Under the eye of Haider Ackermann, that sensuality continues to guide and define the house, like it did at tonight’s spring/summer 2027 show in Paris.

The collection was shown in a dimly lit space with models sauntering around walls of mirrors, with both their reflections and those of the entire cast surrounding them. Ackermann had the models walk in multiples, a choice that evoked “the feeling that something has happened, or is about to happen,” as he put it in his show notes. Some appeared in pairs with “companion” looks, like the liquid-sheen bodysuit and smoking jacket Anok Yai slipped on mid-walk.

Prints and overt ornamentation were nonexistent here (as, often, they were under Ford himself), but the real drama was in the cuts and severity of the looks. A pair of tailored-to-perfection dress pants became even more provocative with a molded rubber bustier. There were flashes of exposure, like a plunging neckline or a slashed bodysuit, but also the implication of skin, as seen in the more sculptural jackets and outerwear.

Especially impressive were a pair of rich red evening looks on Mariacarla Boscono and Alex Consani that clung to the body with ease.

For all the wraparound, barely-there swimsuits, there were subtler expressions of eroticism. A semi-sheer skirt, for instance, revealed just enough through a transparent back panel to expose a thong. The clothes projected a quiet confidence, and with it, an undeniable sexuality. As Ackermann put it, “sexuality does not need to shout” to make itself known.

There’s a renewed fascination with sensuality this season, especially in Milan, where Diesel and Ferragamo built collections around desire and physicality. Here, the sex appeal lived in what was left unsaid.

“Seduction is the pillar on which this house is built,” the designer said in the show notes. “This time I felt like pushing it further, closer to danger. There is something deeply sexual in a body that reveals itself without offering itself. In a gesture that feels spontaneous and perilous at once.”

Matthew Velasco is the Fashion News Editor at ELLE. Based in New York City, he previously worked as a News Writer at W magazine and an Assistant Editor at V magazine. Outside of fashion, he enjoys interior design, tennis (both watching and playing), and a jam-packed antique store.