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WELCOME TO ‘What is #menswear talking about?’, a weekly dispatch where we discuss the news, rumours and conversations that are dominating the men’s style discourse, and therefore, our Esquire water cooler chitchat.
Scroll on for this week’s edition.
Effective immediately: Tom Ford appoints Haider Ackermann as its new creative director
Tom Ford, the undisputed American brand of sex and glamour, has appointed Colombian designer Haider Ackermann as its new creative director. Ackermann’s debut collection is scheduled for Paris Fashion Week in March 2025.
Known for his sharp tailoring, and lauded as one of the best colourists and fabricators in the industry, Ackermann succeeds Peter Hawkings, the right-hand man of 25 years to Ford, who stepped down in July. Ford exited his eponymous label in 2022.
“It’s a great honour to uphold the legacy of Tom Ford, a man I have long admired and have the utmost respect for,” Ackermann shared in a statement. “I am much looking forward to what lies ahead.”
Described as a designer’s designer, Ackermann has held other creative leadership roles in the past. He started his eponymous label in the early 2000s with a womenswear collection and then soon after branched into menswear. Leading Italian label Berluti from 2016 to 2018, his work of fine, craft-focused tailoring and sensual fabrics established a fresh identity for the brand, and surely caught the attention of Ford. “I find both his women’s wear and men’s wear equally compelling,” said Ford in a statement.
Recently, Ackermann was invited to design a one-off couture collection for Jean Paul Gaultier in early 2023, and was also named Canada Goose’s first creative director earlier this year in May. The appointment also marks a vindication for one of fashion’s most capable yet underused creative leaders, Ackermann’s extensive body of work making him a top contender and favourite hopeful for other empty high-profile creative director chairs in the industry.
But now at the helm of Tom Ford, effective immediately since Tuesday, it’s generated buzz across the industry, particularly what it means for his frequent muses such as actors Timothée Chalamet and Tilda Swinton.
Giorgio Armani collabs with Kith for their first menswear collection, ‘The Archetypes’
Leading menswear designer Giorgio Armani has launched its first menswear collection in collaboration with American streetwear label Kith. Titled The Archetypes, the collection is playfully devised into four archetypes of the modern man. ‘The Entertainer’ features pieces that blend streetwear staples such as bomber jackets, bucket hats, and anoraks in velvet jewel tones, tailored with precision – the Armani speciality. ‘The Artist’ interprets tailored pieces mixed with technical pieces of quarter zips layered over woollen coats.
‘The Traveller’ is a capsule collection in its own right with the well-dressed urbanite in a foreign city in mind. And ‘The Entrepreneur’ is perhaps the focal point of the collab, tailored pieces are worn over T-shirts with the Armani x Kith logo, and shirts and ties layered under jerseys in shades of brown, black and navy. The collab’s release will roll-out throughout the month of September, coinciding with every surpassing fashion week from New York to Paris, as part of their autumn-winter 2024 season.
Effective immediately: Ksubi names Pip Edwards as new creative director
Pip Edwards, co-founder of cult Australian athleisure brand P.E. Nation, is making her return to Ksubi as its creative director. It’s a full-circle moment for the designer who got her start in the industry at the brand in the early 2000s; she was involved in the early design, marketing, and brand strategy. Exiting her role at P.E. Nation, Edwards will reunite with Ksubi CEO Craig King as they continue the brand’s global growth strategy and retail presence.
“From its inception, Ksubi has been at the core of the global cultural zeitgeist, thriving at the intersection of where fashion, art, and music meet,” says Edwards on her appointment. “Having been part of the original crew 20 years ago, I’m so excited to join the talented team at Ksubi once again and contribute to their already impressive global success.”
“The next generation’s power couple”: Tommy Hilfiger casts Patrick Schwarzenegger and Abby Champion in their new campaign
Heritage American brand Tommy Hilfiger has cast actor Patrick Schwarzenegger and his fiancée Abby Champion for their autumn-winter 2024 campaign. The collection, which debuted in February with a show at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Terminal, takes a spin on Americans classics such as a camel wool coat, navy pea coats, and bombers with casual sportswear and varsity-inspired accents. It’s quintessentially Hilfiger, only Schwarzenegger and Champion (who were photographed around Central Park by Alasdair McLellan) also make it very Gossip Girl.
“Patrick and Abby embody the next generation’s power couple,” says Hilfiger. “Their deep connection, mutual bond, and unwavering support for one another capture the spirit of optimism that has always fuelled our brand.”
A peek inside their relationship, Schwarzenegger is coming off the back of filming season three of The White Lotus in Thailand, before starting on their wedding preparations. “This campaign felt like an intimate and genuine reflection of our relationship so far,” says Schwarzenegger. “I always feel my best when Abby is by my side, and wearing Tommy’s latest collection, we felt comfortable, relaxed and classic. It’s a timeless campaign, and we look forward to a lifetime together.”
Shop the collection here.
IWC commemorates the Year of the Snake
When the Year of the Snake rolls around in January 2025, you should mark the auspicious year with IWC’s celebration of the Lunar calendar. The Portofino Automatic Moon Phase 37 Year of the Snake watch features a rich burgundy dial and calfskin strap, a gold moonphase sitting at 12 o’clock,and then flipping it over to reveal a serpent-shaped oscillating mass. Limited to 500 pieces, it’s a sure collector’s piece from the Swiss watchmaker.
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