Who is Haider Ackermann (Gaultier's latest guest designer)+ Youssef Marquis' new communications agency

plus the updated list of fashion jobs and internships

Jan 27, 2023

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This Wednesday, Haider Ackermann presented the Jean Paul Gaultier Couture Spring 2023 collection, his first one for the brand. Gaultier retired in early 2020, and this is the fourth time that he invites another designer to create a couture collection for his brand - after Chitose Abe, Glenn Martens, and Olivier Rousteing.

Ackermann describes his collection, which took him 4 months to build, as “a love letter to Jean Paul Gaultier”, celebrating the impact he has made on the fashion industry. The highly-anticipated show was a big success, and everyone is talking about Haider Ackermann right now. Let’s learn more about him.

Who is Haider Ackermann?

Born in Bogota, Colombia on March 29 of 1971, Haider Ackermann was adopted by a French family, and spent much of his childhood in France, Ethiopia, Algeria, and Chad (experiences that served as influences for his designs) before settling in the Netherlands. He then went to Belgium in 1994 to study fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp because he was inspired by the work of Yves Saint Laurent. However, he got expelled in 1997.

His early career began in 1998 with a five-month internship at John Galliano, before starting work as an assistant for Belgian fashion designer and his former teacher, Wim Neels. He worked for different brands like Patrick Van Ommeslaeghe and Bernard Wilhelm before turning full-time designer at Mayerline.

Ackermann launched his namesake label in 2001 and presented his first womenswear collection in Paris for autumn/winter 2002-03, which has become known for his masterful draping and avant-garde aesthetic. This collection drew the attention of Ruffo - a premium leather clothing specialist, which offered him to work at Ruffo Research in 2003, for which he designed 2 collections - the spring/summer 2003 and the autumn/winter 2003-04.
In 2004 he won the Swiss Textiles Award.
In 2005, he relocated to Paris and opened his studio, signing with BVBA 32, a Belgian company.

In December 2010, he launched his first and last menswear collection.

Besides running his own label, Haider Ackermann also served as creative director of Berluti from 2016 to 2018.

Fun fact: Karl Lagerfeld praised Haider Ackermann’s work and saw him as his ideal successor at Chanel. In an interview for Numéro Magazine in November 2010, he said it was Ackermann who would replace him if he were ever to leave the French fashion house. Also, some people called Ackermann a “new Yves Saint Laurent”.

Haider Ackermann is close friends with Tilda Swinton and Timothée Chalamet, and many celebrities have worn his outfits, including Victoria Beckham, Lady Gaga, Karlie Kloss, and Penelope Cruz, among others.

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What's happening in the industry this week?💚

Paris Haute Couture highlights

The Paris Haute Couture fashion week was held on Jan 23-26 with the presentation of collections from Chanel, Dior, Elie Saab, Alexandre Vaulthier, Armani Privé, and Valentino, among others.

Schiaparelli opened the event on Monday with a show that went viral, as you’ve probably seen all over social media. Inspired by Dante’s “Inferno”, creative director Daniel Roseberry sent on the runway models wearing false animal heads on the dresses.

Another highlight from this fashion week is Viktor & Rolf’s show called “Late Stage Capitalism Waltz”, during which models wore dresses that were positioned in almost every direction, like this one:

June Ambrose and PUMA launch a co-branded collection “Keeping Score”

To celebrate Puma’s 75th anniversary, June Ambrose - celebrity stylist and costume designer - will release her first co-branded collection "Keeping Score" with Puma as its creative director. It will launch in two drops: in January and in March.

For this launch, June Ambrose took inspiration from her successful “High Court” collection she has made for Puma in the past and the 50 years of hip-hop, as well as her history working with Puma and by analyzing the brand’s heritage.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky create a Super Bowl line with Mitchell & Ness

The capsule collection includes T-shirts, hoodies, a coach’s jacket and other pieces featuring the image used last September to announce her halftime show performance. The items also include a quote from Rihanna: “If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that we can fix this world together. We can’t do it divided, I can’t emphasize that enough.”. Prices range from $45 to $135 and the line will be sold online at the Fanatics website, the National Football League Shop, and in select retailers.

Telfar introduced his very first wallet

This Monday, Telfar put on sale its first wallet. Made of leather, it comes in 17 colors and sells at $144, and it is said the design is already being traded on the resale site StockX, with some sellers requesting a minimum of $1,500 to purchase. In fact, these wallets reached such a success that they sold out very quickly - “thousands and thousands” of them, according to the brand’s creative director Babak Radboy.

Louis Vuitton launches its first baby collection

The French luxury house will launch the collection on March 3 in selected stores worldwide. It will include clothing sized up to 12 months, as well as shoes and accessories. It will be a sustainable line offering products made of organic cotton, responsible cashmere and sheep’s wool, and Leather Working Group’s certified leather. Louis Vuitton will use its signature patterns such as an engraved silver tumbler, a Louis Vuitton teddy bear, and a specially designed wardrobe trunk.

Youssef Marquis is launching a communications agency

Louis Vuitton’s and Givenchy’s ex Communications Director is opening his namesake communications agency next Monday. Youssef Marquis is planning to build a client list of emerging designers, celebrities, as well as fashion and luxury brands, among others, including Louis Vuitton which will be his first client.

Fashion Career Tip of the Week

Did you know that a resume is not enough to apply for a job in fashion?

One crucial step of a job application that you should never skip is writing a cover letter. In our latest article on glamobserver.com, we explain 3 reasons why you need a cover letter to get a job in fashion. You will learn: