Fashion darling Haider Ackermann brings his unique eye for design to Augustinus Bader’s high-performance creams in a highly collectable, limited-edition packaging. We speak to the designer and Augustinus Bader CEO Charles Rosier in an exclusive interview to find out more.
Perhaps the first question that pops into mind would be – what do Augustinus Bader and Haider Ackermann have in common exactly? The answer: a whole lot. One is a premium beauty brand founded in 2018 by a stem-cell scientist and regenerative medicine doctor who has found the fountain of youth, cracked the secrets of anti-ageing and shared it with the world. Its proprietary TFC8 technology, which works with the body’s innate capability to renew and rejuvenate, completely disrupted the industry and catapulted Augustinus Bader to cult status with the launch of The Rich Cream and The Cream.
Similarly, Haider Ackermann is a renowned fashion designer whose exacting vision and distinctive approach to design have also earned him a cult following. Ackermann founded his label in 2003, captivating clients with his ability to create pieces that are both immaculate and sensual. He has a clear eye for contrasts – indeed, few have mastered the art of juxtaposition quite like Ackermann, who can embody effortlessness with sharp and precise cuts, or emulate elegance with an edge. His skills for dressmaking and tailoring aren’t unnoticed by brands, he was approached to succeed Galliano at Dior and Martin Margiela. In 2010, Karl Lagerfeld described him as an ideal successor at Chanel. Others have called him a new Yves Saint-Laurent.
Charles Rosier, the CEO and co-founder of Augustinus Bader, first crossed paths with Ackermann at a private cocktail party honouring Azzedine Alaia, and when over the years, their paths crossed again, they found they had plenty in common. The idea to collaborate struck them when they bumped into each other at a film festival. “I was curious to see how Haider could interpret our vessel to create something truly unique,” says Rosier. “Fast forward to multiple meetings in Paris, moodboards backwards and forwards, many zooms later and it resulted in the partnership you see today.”
And that, to give it its full name, is The Haider Ackermann x Augustinus Bader Limited Editions. To celebrate the five-year anniversary of The Rich Cream and The Cream, two of Augustinus Bader’s bestselling products, Ackermann has designed a futuristic chrome vessel to house the two cult heroes, a packaging that really speaks to the designer’s fluid and artistic sensibilities. The vessel is refillable too, making it an object d’art that can be reused again and again.
“Haider is an extremely talented designer, and he has a natural elegance,” says Rosier. “His work is slightly provocative but it’s not provoking a conversation by going for the easy shock. He is a visionary designer whose creations inspire great loyalty from the iconic people he dresses and his larger community.”
This is only the second time Augustinus Bader has done a collaboration since 2019 when the brand first teamed up with Victoria Beckham. “Augustinus Bader is the ultimate insider’s brand and happens to be the top choice for the highly discerning fashion and Hollywood community looking for clean, science-backed products that work,” Rosier says.
As for guidelines? There were none. Augustinus Bader’s original packaging made use of copper, a medicinal metal that was also anti-microbial. The deep blue shade of the bottle was chosen for the night sky. Ackermann turned it completely on its head, to Rosier’s delight. “There were no guidelines necessary when you’re working with a visionary like Haider,” he puts simply.
Ackermann is no stranger to collaborations: his critically-acclaimed debut as a guest designer at Jean Paul Gaultier in January drew praise for the way he stripped back the hype and the glamour of Gaultier’s aesthetic, and reverted to the purity of his designs, and the beautiful couture tailoring he was famous for.
After haute couture, Ackermann also tackled sportwear in his collaboration with Fila which showed a completely different side to the designer. It was his first foray into this more casual category, and he did it with a refinement and charm that’s unusual for the genre –functional and high-tech garments in shades of brilliant white, coral, sky blue, mocha and lilac, inspired by Fila’s archives and its most famous ambassador in the 1970s, Björn Borg.
The key to collaborations, Ackermann says is a game “to find a fine line between respecting the DNA of the brand, adding your signature and creating a new identity.”
For this beauty collaboration – another first – Ackermann took his time to use and understand the product and found himself drawn to its calming and healing properties. He now claims he’s a devotee. “Fashion design is all about movement and gestures, desiring to create a certain style and giving an attitude,” says Ackermann, when asked about the differences of fashion and product design. “While with product, we try to create an intimate object which will be part of your luggage. However, during this process, the search for beauty is the only purpose.”
Ackermann knew immediately when he and Rosier first spoke about the project that it had to do with mirrors. “The packaging needed to reflect its owner,” he says. “I also wanted to have something very pure to mirror the purity of skin, as well as the intimate moment when you’re applying your daily ritual. It’s also very calming to touch and to look at, which is also vital, because it’s about trying to find peace with yourself in that moment of application.”
When it comes to luxury craftsmanship, Ackermann says both Augustinus Bader and himself are all about the hands. “Whether it’s creating a collection by hand or creating a cream to be massaged into the skin – it’s a very beautiful thing to do,” he says. “I always come back to this idea of working around imperfection to elevate something to be the best that it can be.”