Haider Ackermann has played with the balance between masculinity and femininity for many seasons now, showing that to be undone, sensual and ultimately beautiful, borrowing from menswear is the way to go especially when we're talking about his sharply cut jackets with rolled up sleeves, shirts that deconstruct at the neck and trousers slung so low that hip bones start to protrude. The show opened with silk satin trouser suits in opulent colours accessorised with oxford shoes that grounded this slightly more masculine vision down.  Fabric slipping away or over the head as a hood is a recurring feature of Ackermann's, The audience has come to expect a show stopper from Ackermann in the last few seasons with the amount of attention on this Lagerfeld-approved designer grown tenfold, and each show constantly eliciting tears, loud applause and wild praise backstage. 

The mastery that bewitched his audience in the first place didn't disintegrate.  If anything, for those that still consider Ackermann a 'new' name, it consecrated the point about his clothing.  Should he start to want to make a 180 degree turn trend statement every season, then we'd be worried.  For a start, we'd miss the way he drapes fabric on the body, painting it on and fixing it in any position he feels would give the perfect oozing silhouette and it has to be said, Ackermann's models do ooze on the runway, taking their time to walk so that we get the full picture of his craft (this season there was a mirror in the background reflecting the models walking just to have the moment linger on a little bit longer).  

Ackermann has been on a trip to India before with his collections and this time round, he collected some of those textiles and colours and imported them into a Beau Brummel dandified ease that felt like a zenith had been reached with his sweeping silhouettes.  Beyond the peacocked dandies, t the final simpler passage of chiffon sheath tops and trailing skirts and low-cut liquid lame gowns, this is a designer at ease with his ways of seducing women with his raw aesthetic too.  It was a collection that ran the gamut and once again has paid off judging by the ever-growing crowd of greeters and congratulators to meet Ackermann backstage.

Dazed Digital: What brought on that initial part of richness in the fabrics and the colours?
Haider Ackermann: It felt good to have a series of Lord Byrons coming out.  I wanted to have this decadent feeling, a more laid back feeling.  Your attitude changes a lot when you wear flat shoes as opposed to high heels.  To have this totally different attitude was very important to me.  To be at ease perhaps was what I was going for.  

DD: How do you balance out the masculine and feminine elements in your collections? 
Haider Ackermann: The contrast is always very important.  I do not think so much about it.  It just comes from within me and I see what happens.  For me, it was just a question of attitude.  That's the only thing I want to reflect

DD: How do you feel when every season, you have more and more people congratulating and vying for your attention? 
Haider Ackermann: Honestly, I don't know! I prefer not to think about it.