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Haider Ackermann’s second renaissance

Gloria Tso

Tom Ford and Canada Goose’s new creative director was once considered to head up Dior but dismissed by Berluti – and dresses Tilda Swinton and Timothée Chalamet


Colombian-born French fashion designer Haider Ackermann is enjoying a comeback. Photo: Handout


Known for his artistic vision and cross-cultural references, the designer is experiencing a resurgence as he brings his signature aesthetic to brands seeking fresh direction


The many eras of designer Haider Ackermann read a little bit like a 21st century fashion fairy tale, with a cast of characters consisting of the industry’s most respected names. Humble beginnings interning with celebrated couturier John Galliano and working with commercial brands led Ackermann to launch his own eponymous label in the early 2000s. He was considered for fashion’s biggest jobs by the end of the decade, tapped to lead Maison Margiela and even potentially take over his former boss Galliano’s job at the helm of Dior.


A model presents a creation for Haider Ackermann spring/summer 2017. Photo: Handout


Over 20 years later, Ackermann is now experiencing his second renaissance. In May, he was appointed the first-ever creative director of Canada Goose – an unexpected move meant to modernise and expand on the outerwear manufacturer’s offerings. Just months later, he was also named the creative director of Tom Ford, tasked with reinvigorating the American label, which hasn’t generated nearly as much buzz since the departure of its namesake founder.


Ethan Hawke stars in Haider Ackermann’s latest Snow Goose by Canada Goose campaign. Photo: Handout


“It’s been quite challenging times, in the sense that I’ve been touching many different spectrums of what my industry is,” says Ackermann when asked about his ample fashion credentials and most recent appointments. Both were intended to bring his star power and signature aesthetic to brands in need of fresh direction and renewed energy.


“Whether it was related to beauty with Augustinus Bader, haute couture with Jean Paul Gaultier, then sportswear with Fila, and now, of course, Canada Goose’s outerwear, and Tom Ford, which is suiting and ready-to-wear,” Ackermann continues. “It feels like I’ve been through this roller coaster that is just extraordinary, to touch all those fields and travel roads that normally would not be there for me and would be a challenge.”


Kylie Jenner in Jean Paul Gaultier x Haider Ackermann at the 2023 Met Gala. Photo: @kyliejenner/Instagram


Soon enough he addresses the elephant in the room: “It’s at least been, since I’m not doing my brand any more, very fortunate to speak different languages and enter someone’s field, to try to understand and learn it.”


It was seemingly at the peak of his powers when things took a turn for the Colombian-born, Belgian-educated and now France-based designer towards the end of the past decade. After a high-profile stint at Berluti was cut short just three seasons in, Ackermann was unceremoniously sacked by his own label due to internal disagreements with his former business partner Anne Chapelle.


Haider Ackermann acknowledges the public at the end of the Berluti show during men’s fashion week for the fall/winter 2017-18 collection in Paris. Photo: AFP


While Ackermann doesn’t allude to this period directly during our conversation, one gets the sense that he’s eager to start anew after several years out of the limelight. There’s no jaded feeling of defeat – only a palpable excitement in his voice when speaking about his craft and how, even at this stage in his career, he is still learning new things.


“The feeling makes your heart beat faster,” he quips. “When Canada Goose approached me, I was like, ‘Where the hell did they call me from?’ But you get more curious. And by meeting them, diving in the archives, which were actually much more interesting than what they represent now, it was all this electricity and energy.”


Haider Ackermann’s first collection for Canada Goose. Photo: Handout


Ackermann channels that energy into his first collection for the brand by revisiting archival references through an array of different lenses. “It’s the only thing that I’m trying to do, because I would like the brand to be authentic to what it is and not make a fashion brand out of it,” he says.


What if Canada Goose went punk? Leaned into streetwear? Or even joined the athleisure boom? All these thoughts and more seem to have occurred to him when designing this collection, which feels nostalgic yet current – catered to the cultural zeitgeist of the moment, as consumers now seek out more authentic connections with the brands they buy.


“Sometimes when you’re so much into things, you may have forgotten your past because you think you have to move forward,” Ackermann continues, and for a second there I wonder if he’s speaking about his tenure at Canada Goose specifically or his career at large. His capsule for the brand, which also revives its former name – the Snow Goose label from the 1990s – pays homage not only to Canada Goose’s extensive history but also his own legacy as a designer.


It’s a smart way of saying that even as everything has changed in Ackermann’s world and beyond, some things – namely his penchant for cultural references and reputation for sartorial excellence – have stayed the same.


Incorporating Ackermann’s artistic essence, highlights from the capsule include the Orion tee, which has all the makings of a classic vintage concert tee, from its graphic album cover-like design to the all-caps font, with “Snow Goose” written across in loud pink lettering. The Wilder hoodie is reminiscent of those vintage college sweatshirts you can order off eBay even if you didn’t graduate from said university, while the Rider Parka marries high-performance functionality with the impeccably tailored appearance of high fashion.


Both the capsule and its creator do an excellent job at juggling double duty. Every nuance, from the carefully considered pleats and folds down to the placement of zips and pockets, speaks to the experience of a designer who has a clear and expansive vision of both his role in fashion, and the larger role fashion should play in the world.


“Everything is related,” says Ackermann. “When doing Fila at the same time as Jean Paul Gaultier, my head was getting schizophrenia – one day Gaultier, one day Fila. It was crazy, but everything was turning [out] the same. With Fila, we talk about sportswear – people maintaining their body. Couture is a very different exercise, but it’s also about maintaining your body. It’s also about posture. It’s also something that has strengths in every [one] of your gestures.”


Haider Ackermann has dressed stars such as Cate Blanchett. Photo: @h.a/Instagram


Is Ackermann the best shape-shifter working in fashion today? Tom Ford certainly seemed to think so when he came personally calling about the creative director vacancy at his label. Though Ackermann’s first collection for that brand won’t make its debut until next season of Paris Fashion Week, it’s also certain to cause commotion – not that critical or commercial success has ever been his aim anyway.


“All those things [I] do, it’s the same search for beauty, just from a different angle,” he muses. “Perhaps because I had the past that I had, a very nomadic life, I’m still in search of this. I still have this wildness in me.”


The many lives of Ackermann have certainly contributed to his allure as an escape artist of sorts, moving seamlessly from one project to another without ever offering up the slightest hint of what might come next. Opulent but never overtly extravagant, his own label was renowned not only for artistry but also its adventurous spirit, imbued with cross-cultural references borrowed from his own experiences and travels.


He was adopted by a French family as a baby, and his cartographer father took him to faraway places like Ethiopia and Algeria throughout his childhood before eventually landing in Belgium, where he studied before dropping out of design school. “I always followed my own rhythm,” he says, reflecting on his journey taking the unexpected roads less travelled. “And perhaps that saved me as well.”


“The moment my name was getting, in my mind, a bit too big, I would do less interviews,” he adds. “There’s miscommunication about what [fashion] is all about. Fame is such a big word nowadays. People are miscalculating it totally, and not going for what makes them happy. So I have immense respect for designers like Rick Owens, Nicolas Ghesquière, Junya Watanabe, Demna from Balenciaga … who are really fighting for fashion, searching for beauty, advancing a world.”


Ackermann remains remarkably low-key despite having joined those ranks of fashion’s most familiar faces. He is, I note, also one of its friendliest – while he knows a thing or two about leaving a lasting impression with his work, it’s his generosity of spirit that truly leaves you floored.


Tilda Swinton’s red carpet arrival at the 79th Venice International Film Festival premiere for the film The Eternal Daughter in 2022. Photo: Reuters/TPX


Ackermann gushes over Timothée Chalamet just like the rest of us – “we met when no one knew about him,” he says – and speaks fondly of Tilda Swinton, whom he calls a sister. The designer refers to them both as the “backbones” of his life and business, but refuses to relish in the accomplishment of dressing A-listers.


“The biggest blessing in my life is friendships, and it didn’t start because they were famous – it started because we believed in each other, and we stick [with] each other,” he counters, instead remarking on the importance of gratitude in an otherwise superficial industry. “A red carpet is not always easy, but when they know their best mate is dressing them, it gives them strength.”


Timothée Chalamet arrives for the premiere of Bones and All during the 79th annual Venice International Film Festival in 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE


The strength of friendship, as Ackermann reiterates, is mutual. “When I felt insecure in my career, when everything was a bit on hold, Miss Swinton and Mr Chalamet were the first ones to tell me, ‘You have to dress us,’” he says, smiling. “I’m very lucky to have those two.”


Capping off an amazing 2024 as one of British GQ’s Men of the Year honorees, Ackermann is finally embracing the newfound popularity that eluded him in recent years. His down-to-earth persona – beyond being a match made in heaven for brands in transition – never ceases to command attention and respect. Neither of those have always come easy to the designer, who has learned not to take anything for granted.


Haider Ackermann values friendship in his business. Photo: Getty Images


“I would like to tell this to all the young kids who might read you,” Ackermann says shortly before signing off our chat. “Friendship is one of the most important values in our business. It is not to be underestimated.” You’d consider this sage advice coming from someone who is, more likely than not, your favourite designer’s favourite designer – one who has covered every corner of fashion throughout his career, yet is just now rediscovering his confidence. “I feel more entitled than ever to do what I’m doing.”







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