If anyone needed confirmation that stripes are a trend for S/S 18 they need look no further than the Haider Ackermann show. Just hours after Balenciaga made a case for the look, Ackermann also went big for the pattern, sending out numerous Beetlejuice tributes.
Ackermann has been a busy man of late. In September 2016 he was appointed creative director of Berluti and offered a stellar debut collection. There, he got the mix right between tradition and innovation. Whenever a designer takes on a big job at an established house, juggling the work load with their own eponymous brand can prove tough. One got the sense that this collection was put together without the usual time and consideration Ackermann has enjoyed in the past. As a designer, he’s known for rich layers, heady bohemian silhouettes and decadence. That opulence had been replaced with a more streamlined pragmatism. The usual drop crotches and regal, luxurious mixes had been substituted for more conventional separates, styled simply. The pulsing soundtrack sounded like someone repeatedly striking a punch bag, but strangely this collection lacked force.
