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Paris FASHION WEEK
Tom Ford: The reinvention of “Porno chic” by Haider Ackermann
“This kid will never stop talking !”… Sorry, Mrs. L**** from second grade, but Haider Ackermann has decided to get me talking… again. BECAUSE IT IS BACK. Fashion, the kind that is a little raw, that can shock, make an impression, or even transcend. The kind that stirs up emotions and unties tongues.
So let’s talk!
did you say porno chic ?
Imagine the upbeat theme song from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and picture in your mind a completely different era: the 90s. Badass, sometimes punk, already cun*t. Tom Ford joins Gucci —which is dangerously close to bankruptcy— with one mission: to restore the Italian brand to its former glory. And since keeping up with the times can be redundant, why not be avant-garde? The man then decided to team up with model, stylist, and journalist Carine Roitfeld and photographer Mario Testino to launch a new era: the porno chic.
It shocks but it fascinates. It’s scandalous but aesthetic. Shirts, dresses, low-rise jeans, underwear, and semi-nudity—everyone gets in on it, men and women alike. The centerpiece of the concept is sex, suggested but not revealed, which arouses curiosity and, strangely enough, makes you want to buy. AND IT WORKS: codes are broken, people talk about it, and deep down, everyone wants to be sexy in Gucci by Tom Ford.
But every good story has an end. And Tom Ford’s arrival at Yves Saint Laurent in the early 2000s would bring this era to a close. A story for another day… or not.
A trend REINVENTED in 2025
Ah, DNA. We can do so many things with it! Using it to celebrate cultural heritage with pride, like Mami Watta, the drag queen who won Drag Race France All Stars 1. Or, like Haider Ackermann, using it to revive, reinterpret, and transcend the aesthetic of Porno Chic. Ambitious ? Yes. Achieved ? Totally.
As Tom Ford’s creative director for just over a year, he has quickly incorporated his je ne sais quoi into the brand, while retaining its very essence. And when you want to create a coherent aesthetic, what better way than to embrace your differences?
I am the morning after”
All it took was one fashion show. On October 1st, 2025, during Paris Fashion Week SS26 for Women, Haider Ackermann decided to wake up fashion and reincarnate the provocative DNA of Porno Chic… to transcend it. It is like talking about how amazing was the last party night and show that the next morning, in continuity, is just as exciting. Transparency that suggests without showing, colors, playing with textures, form-fitting silhouettes that transform the body into a visual playground… the world is ready to heal thanks to this new aesthetic.
NO, this is not a copy of what Tom Ford created. YES It is a modern reinterpretation of porno chic, less raw, still provocative and very contemporary. And to highlight all this, as interesting as the presence of faux fur this year,here are my top 5 favorite looks from the Tom Ford SS26 collection by Haider Ackermann:
#5 THE REBEL
#5 THE REBEL
#4 THE AMBITIOUS
#4 THE AMBITIOUS
#3 THE PURITY
#3 THE PURITY
#2 THE MATRIX
#2 THE MATRIX
#1 THE EMPRESS
#1 THE EMPRESS
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