Sugarless Takes: PFW Day 3 — Debuts and PR Choices

The way Paris is packed with one show after another makes you wonder how it’s possible to keep up. There isn’t enough time to digest each collection because you already have to focus on the next one. How do people even avoid all that Parisian traffic? I’ve seen some amazing content creators, influencers, and buyers opt for the metro just to get to the next venue faster. I can only imagine how much less glamorous Paris Fashion Week must feel when you have to navigate the metro hustle—making sure no one pickpockets you, avoiding a fall down the endless Parisian metro stairs in your new boots, and holding your breath to escape the pee odor between shows. Nonetheless, these people live the lives many of us behind the scenes in the fashion industry dream of—pee odor and garment deconstruction included. That’s priceless.

Anyway, the third day of Paris Fashion Week included two long-awaited, highly significant debuts: Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford and Julian Klausner for Dries Van Noten. These two shows did not disappoint, which is already a relief for an industry that has so cynically disposed of creative talent over the past two years. Tom Ford himself and Mr. Dries Van Noten, of course, had a hand in selecting their successors.

DRIES VAN NOTEN

Julian Klausner’s vision aligns with that of Dries Van Noten on one key concept: looking to the future. This cannot be taken for granted, as heritage brands (and yes, we can now say Dries Van Noten has a heritage and legacy to uphold) often expect new creative directors to rely on the archives. Dries Van Noten, however, expects the opposite. Julian proved with this first Fall/Winter 2025 collection that he, like Dries, has interests beyond just textiles and fabrics. Their visions are so compatible that it felt as if the founder had never left—and bear in mind, Julian is only 33 years old.

The collection was shown at Palais Garnier, and the garments truly evoked something you’d wear to a night at the opera. More than that, it felt as if elements from the opera—jacquard rugs, velvet curtains, stage embellishments—had been transformed into fantastically composed looks. That was opera couture at its finest.

TOM FORD

It has been a long time since we’ve seen Anna Wintour give a standing ovation after a show, so this was definitely the biggest approval any designer could receive (or maybe she just stood up because Tom Ford stood up first? We don’t know). Anyway, you cannot argue that Haider Ackermann is not a top-tier designer—after all, he entered the industry with the blessing of John Galliano as his intern early in his career. He has worked with everyone, from Fila to Berluti, to co-designing a couture collection for Jean Paul Gaultier, an he also ran his own label. So at 53 years old, it seems only fair that he is finally taking over a namesake brand like Tom Ford.

It will be interesting to see if he takes the brand to the next level. Seeing Tom Ford re-establish itself as a solid aesthetic that people actually want to follow today would be refreshing. However, it won’t be easy—everything looks exquisitely tailored, very ready-to-wear-focused. But seeing Tom Ford move beyond just perfumes and regain its position as a desirable, aesthetically strong fashion brand is something I cannot wait for.

ACNE STUDIOS

Who is Acne Studios’ community? It seems like every season, the brand’s communication strategy centers around having one major celebrity of the moment attend their show. Last year, for their Spring/Summer 2024 show, they had Rosalía attend one last time after working with her as an ambassador since 2022. This season, they obviously had to have Doechii—who also happened to be wearing the brand on her recent Dazed cover. Is she Acne’s next ambassador?

Doechii is attending nearly every major show this season (she also attended Tom Ford), which is great press, I guess. Everyone loves seeing her transform into a fashion chameleon, but for some brands—case in point, Acne Studios—it feels forced.

The collection itself wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly good either. The biggest question people kept asking? Why were those massive boots in most of the looks? Sources say this was entirely intentional—because part of Acne Studios’ ethos now is to go against all logic. Perhaps the last truly logical collection from the brand was Spring/Summer 2024, before their menswear lookbook with Yves Tumor, where things took a turn for the subversive and uncomfortable. Swedish eccentricism, anyone? I wonder if a real community will emerge from this direction. I’ve heard their Swedish clients are only buying the bags now.

BALMAIN

Two days ago, Balmain’s CEO, Matteo Sgarbossa, released a statement shutting down rumors that Olivier Rousteing was set to leave Balmain. I was honestly shocked when this rumor started circulating because it proves just how much we love fashion drama. But at the same time, aren’t we becoming a bit masochistic and cynical? It’s as if fashion has become a soap opera for some, and we forget that countless jobs depend on the creative vision of a designer. Anyway, thankfully, this rumor was debunked—Olivier Rousteing is here to stay. Not only is he creatively prepared, but he is also completely aligned with the new CEO’s plans to elevate Balmain’s communication strategy and expand operations. (I wonder how those new perfumes are doing.)

Balmain is an interesting case study—unlike many brands, it has changed CEOs more frequently than creative directors. Since Olivier took over, Balmain has switched CEOs not once, but three times. Yet Olivier always seems to align with whoever is in charge. He is a highly business-oriented designer—the full package of what a modern creative director should be.

As for this Fall/Winter 2025 collection, it felt… different. Different in the sense that Olivier seems to be shifting his vision. It almost felt as if someone else had designed this collection. The structured Balmain shoulders and silhouette that Olivier was so drawn to were missing, replaced by a looser, more wearable look. While that may be a good thing, it also felt similar to what many others are already doing. In fact, a beloved brand—one that starts with Y and ends with T—that recently shut down had done very similar looks just last year.

Nevertheless, the construction of certain knitwear and outerwear pieces stood out, with unique textures differentiating them from the sea of similar silhouettes. And, as their CEO stated, Balmain is set to change its communication strategy to ensure these pieces sell, so the public will decide.

All Image credits go to: Vogue Runway, Acne Studios