Ever since Haider Ackermann was announced as the new creative director of Tom Ford back in September, it was only a matter of time before he broâd down once more with his longtime fashion BFF, Timothée Chalamet, whom the celebrated designer has outfitted regularly since his late-2010s stint at Berluti. That long-awaited reunion finally materialized tonight at the Golden Globes, granting us our first potential peek at Ackermannâs vision for his new employer.
And that vision was relatively quiet, if only compared to the backless crimson showstoppers of Haider-Timmy linkups past. Chalamet sported a rakishly slim black suitâspeckled with a handful of glittery sequins, perhaps a subtle nod to this other memorable Venice Film Festival look circa 2021âover a sober striped dress shirt. Around his neck, he loosely slung a silky polka-dot scarf, in a manner reminiscent of Bob Dylan on the cover of the musicianâs 1966 album Blonde on Blondeâjust the latest of several Dylan sartorial references Chalamet has made as he continues to promote A Complete Unknown. The hems of his drainpipe trousers bunched up atop a pair of gleaming black Chelsea boots, a signature of several of his prior Ackermann-designed ensembles.
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While tonightâs kit felt par for the course as far as Ackermann and Chalametâs ongoing collaborations are concerned, the suitâs trimmer silhouette and lapels did feel like a marked departure from the more traditionally-cut power tailoring Ford made his calling card over the course of nearly two decades at his eponymous label. Itâs unclear if Chalametâs look is indicative of where Ackermann will take Tom Ford when unveils his debut collection for the brand at Paris Fashion Week in March, or if itâs merely a bespoke creation meant to highlight the actorâs willowy figure.
Either way, Ackermann is sure to deliver an energizing jolt to Tom Ford. After Ford sold his company to Estée Lauder to the tune of $2.8 billion in April 2023, he was succeeded as creative director by his longtime protégé Peter Hawkings. That appointment, however, lasted less than a year, with Hawkingsâs initial collections largely deemed by critics as too safe and deferential to Fordâs prior work. Based on this first glimpse provided by Chalamet, itâs safe to say that shouldnât be an issue with a designer as singular as Ackermann now at the helm.
