Haider Ackermann and Fila Take Manchester in This Year’s Most Unexpected Collaboration

If that was the spirit Ackermann hoped to recreate, the organized chaos of the fashion show went some way to achieving it; a beam of white light blasted down the runway, while models walked at varying speeds, clustered together, in intentionally rhythmic slipstreams that were surprisingly satisfying to watch. It also included an impressive array of recognizable faces: Stella Maxwell, Rebecca Longendyke, Lily McMenamy, and, for the closing look, none other than Anok Yai in an optic white stretch bodysuit, a caped parka fluttering behind her. 

Then, to the clothes, which despite all the other bells and whistles, made for perhaps the most unexpected facet of the show entirely. Ackermann is notoriously logo-averse; you’d be hard-pressed to find as much as a contrast-color stitch signifying himself as the creator of one of his meticulously cut jackets or razor-sharp tailored trousers. Having to overcome this fear to enter the realm of sportswear didn’t come easily to Ackermann initially. “We live in a world where it’s all about logos and branding, and as you can see, I never wear logos,” he says, pointing to his (very much logo-less) white sweater and chuckling. “But to be confronted with this, and to embrace something that is not mine, it’s a fascinating challenge.”