Credit: Vogue.com
“We’ve been doing elongated silhouettes reaching the sky for seasons . . . there’s so much high heels and sexiness that now it’s nice to have an army of Lord Byrons coming your way!” – Haider Ackermann
There is something very poetic about Haider Ackermann, a sort of otherworldly element to his collection that is hard to find elsewhere. He brings the fantasy of haute couture to life while establishing a wonderful balance of strength and beauty to his collection; his designs always have a quiet confidence and modern romance to them. Further, there is a certain intensity that is characteristic of both his presentation and craftsmanship that unique to Ackermann. I love the thoughtfulness of his shows, of how he carefully executes his vision for the season. It is a wonder to watch unfold.
Moreover, the duality to his pieces is incredibly intriguing and highly attractive. There is masculine edge to the sharp lines and particular tailoring; yet, his looks are also full of feminine sensuality. The sort of punkish romanticism he has established as his base aesthetic is delightful. Particularly, I love how he manages to make slivers of skin feel like the most exciting thing in the world while simultaneously executing his more revealing pieces with sophisticated aplomb. I feel like Haider Ackermann provides a different sort of seduction, one that is dreamy and certainly not in the traditional sense. This is one full of languidness and decadence, evoking the “luxury of easiness” as he would say. Hamish Bowles puts it best when he describes what Haider Ackermann has done as “invoking the dandy spirit of the mad, bad, and dangerous-to-know Lord Byron, and translating that dandyism for women by taking the iconic elements of a rockabilly wardrobe and layering them with couture detailing.” Because that is exactly the way I see it. He turns deconstruction (the leather jacket in look 20, the wrapping of look 24, and the folds to look 32 for instance) into an artful romantic negligence–one full of whimsy and devil-may-care.
The overall effect is somewhat devastating–in the best possible way. I am seduced by the very fold of his clothes; every distinct origami fold envelopes me further into the eloquently defined world of Haider Ackermann. With its lushly rich color palette and deliberately crafted details, it is easy to fall in love with this collection. There is not so much a control or lack thereof but rather a freedom that allows the audience to soar right along with every slowly meandering look down the runway. More importantly, the exquisite craftsmanship is the foundation to everything. And in the end, all I want to do is breathe in and breath out as to fully lose myself in the poetic exquisiteness of Haider Ackermann.
MFD - Multiple Fashion Disorder 