After designing what was perhaps the best collection shown during Paris Fashion Week, Ackermann will no longer be relegated to alterna-label status. Ackermann now accompanies the ranks of Alber Elbaz for Lanvin and Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy.
It’s obvious that the man knows how to cut, drape and synthesize in the most modern of ways (see his elegant silk dresses offset by strappy leather belting and moto-jacket details for proof). Ackermann knows precisely how to construct garments that straddle aesthetic categorizations.
His looks are developed as neo-classic juxtapositions, never complete without the balancing act of history (kimono-sleeves) and modernity (utility strapping).
Ackermann’s garments are overtly sexy. Slits travel vertically from floor to crotch, and necklines plunge lower than the belly button, challenging prior works by Gianni Versace and Dolce & Gabbana. Using dark-washed leather, he counterbalances vibrant-colored pleated silks with a seductive gothic sensibility. Overall, there isn’t a piece in the collection that could do today’s woman wrong.
Marcus Holmlund’s blog is at smokeandmirrorsblog.com.
