It’s in bad taste to write about the private lives of designers – after all, fashion is trade, not entertainment – but when it comes to a designer such as Haider Ackermann, who feels way more than he works, sometimes you just have to. It’s a paradox because Haider really isn’t one to let people into his own private world. And yet, his work is so driven by what’s happening to him emotionally – and indeed romantically – that it’s hard to avoid. The softness and lightness of his collection, which showed at Le Couvent des Cordeliers on Saturday morning, was one of his most romantic ever.
“It’s a tender phase in my private life,” he told i-D with a wink backstage, no doubt referring to his current relationship, which has brought out a less gloomy and even more serene Haider Ackermann. Of course the soundtrack – a series of dark beats – was still quite doomsday, but in Haider’s dream world that doesn’t have to a bad thing. Its contrast to the collection’s palette of dusty pink and light grey, and floor-length, super lightweight, buoyant coats – some of which dragged regally along the floor – was no less than epic. It was like a small glimpse into the heart and soul of Haider Ackermann, which, by the looks of things, is a pretty good place to be now.
Credits
Text Anders Christian Madsen
Photography Harry Carr