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PARIS, France — Haider Ackermann has announced he will combine the menswear and womenswear runway shows of his namesake brand, starting with the Spring/Summer 2019 collection, to be shown during womenswear Fashion Week in September. As a result, Ackermann will not show his menswear collection during Paris Men's Fashion Week in July.
According to Haider Ackermann, the decision to now opt for a co-ed runway format “reflects a desire to stage a new balance between the two collections,” and is the first strategic move the designer has taken as he now solely focuses on his own label.
Ackermann unveiled his first menswear collection to critical acclaim during the Pitti Uomo tradeshow in Florence in 2011, with a second collection presented two years later at Paris Men’s Fashion Week.
Known for his signature draped forms and a colourful, textured design aesthetic, Haider Ackermann quickly became an influential figure in fashion — earning him fans including Kanye West and Tilda Swinton — after launching his label in 2002. In 2005, the Colombian designer signed with Belgian group BVBA 32, gaining financial backing for his label. In 2013, the group split Ackermann's business into a separate entity in recognition of the brand's "growing prominence."
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Ackermann's rising popularity led him to a job as artistic director at Italian luxury house Berluti in September 2016 — marking a clear shift in the heritage brand's ambition to widen its appeal beyond its traditional tailoring image. During his tenure at the LVMH-owned house, Ackermann brought in a more feminine sensibility into the collections by showing his sporty designs on both men and women. All while continuing to oversee his own fashion line.
In March 2018, just three seasons into the role, Ackermann left Berluti and was succeeded by Dior Homme veteran Kris van Assche, who himself was replaced by Louis Vuitton men's artistic director Kim Jones who left the role to make place for Off-White founder Virgil Abloh, in a series of changes on the men's side of LVMH.
According to the brand, the decision reflects a desire to stage a new balance between the two collections.
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