Ann Demeulemeester presents a monochromatic study of yin and yang for SS23 collection
A twenty-four hour installation saw looks from the Ann archive juxtaposed against the industrial interior of the Neoclassical Stazione Leopolda
Ann Demeulemeester – the guest of honor at Pitti Uomo in Florence
Earlier this year, Ann Demeulemeester was announced as the guest of honor at the Pitti Immagine Uomo trade show in Florence. Although Demeulemeester officially stepped down from her eponymous label in 2013 – with the brand being led by an anonymous design team in recent years – this special project for the renowned menswear trade show was curated by the Belgian designer herself.
The retrospective exhibition marked the fortieth anniversary of the label, with Demeulemeester choosing forty looks of her own design for the show: one for every year. The twenty-four hour installation saw these looks from the Ann Demeulemeester archive juxtaposed against the industrial interior of the Neoclassical Stazione Leopolda.
Ann Demeulemeester working alongside Claudio Antonioli
This sense of historical duality is echoed in the recent ownership transition of the Ann Demeulemeester brand to Italian retailer Claudio Antonioli. The designer has referred to Antonioli as the fashion house’s «compagnon de route» – traveling companion – since its early days.
In turn, Antonioli has increasingly involved Demeulemeester in brand decisions since his ownership began. He has also extended this approach to many of her early collaborators as well as her family members, with Demeulemeester’s graphic designer son enlisted to revamp the Ann Demeulemeester website, while her husband worked on the art direction for the renovation of the flagship store in Antwerp.
A yin and yang plurality continued to set the stage for the brand’s Spring/Summer 2023 show during Paris Fashion Week. Given the current economic climate, many designers have been playing it safe this season, but at Ann Demeulemeester, the catwalk was more of a symbolic space to examine what the show notes refer to as the label’s poetic soul, as well as an exploration of and appreciation for the history that formed it.
Yin and yang
The concept of yin and yang derives from Chinese philosophy and describes opposite forces which are interconnected. In a way, this dichotomy began off the catwalk at this season’s Ann Demeulemeester show, when global pop star Cher arrived at the dispossessed parking garage where the event was staged.
The applause she received on arrival rippled through the cavernous space; somewhat at odds with the glitchy, ethereal music otherwise filling the darkened venue before the models took to the runway. However, given that Demeulemeester herself was present and, indeed, in conversation with Cher after the show – the combination of celebrity furore and bare location could be seen to represent two halves of the same Ann Demeulemeester whole.
This linking of yin and yang set the tone for the show itself. Lights flickered on above the catwalk as models in solid color black looks began to navigate the runway, before slowly transitioning to models in all-white styling. True to form for the brand, dark prevailed over light in terms of the color palette, with the all-black ensembles featuring floor-trailing pants and fluid topweights paired with oversized blazers and cross-body bags worn criss-crossed over the torso.
Moving into the light (on closer inspection, some looks had the slightest hint of green to them, though the overall effect as the models walked the labyrinthine catwalk was monochromatic), mesh-like paneling, barely-there knits, textured layers and floor-length dresses came to the fore, along with white cotton shirts.
The Spring/Summer collection: interconnected
The Spring/Summer collection was a reflection on light and dark, however moments of interconnectedness permeated the opposing forces of black and white, hard and soft, presence and absence throughout. There was an omni-gender approach to casting, for instance, complementing the androgynous womenswear and menswear offering while offsetting the chiaroscuro colorways.
Textures and textile weights formed a cohesive tactility as much as they offered subtle contrasts. Rings with fluttering ribbons softened sharp tailoring and lent a hint of the brand’s trademark romance to more form-fitting dresses and general industrial framework. For some fashion houses, an exclusively bi-color lineup could appear monotonous, but allowing the narrative to «unfold in other expressions and attitudes» (as described in the show notes) in this way was more soothing than spiritless.
A new light, a new energy, a new era
Borrowing from the Spring/Summer 2022 presentation, the Ann Demeulemeester motto has been «a new light, a new energy, a new era» since Antonioli took full control of the brand, represented in this show with the juxtaposition of all-white against all-black.
Changes have been made since his takeover: he recruited a new ‘ghost’ studio who designed this collection in Antwerp, and the company has now shifted almost all its manufacturing to Italy.
However, Antonioli has ensured to have extensive discussions with Demeulemeester ahead of such executive decisions. So much so that what began as an approval of Antonioli’s acquisition of the brand turned into a reconnection with the brand for Demeulemeester herself. A homecoming, of sorts.
The launch of Ann Demeulemeester first perfume
As well as curating the Ann Demeulemeester exhibition at Pitti Immagine Uomo, Demeulemeester has begun working on special projects for the label again, including the launch of its first perfume. She has described her time away from the brand as an opportunity to readjust her view on it, solidifying her belief in the brand’s DNA. Although her current involvement may not include designing clothes, her presence at the show alludes to her commitment to working with her namesake brand once more, as well as her return to the industry she originally made her name in.
Antonioli explains that «the main objective behind everything I do is to follow my emotions rather than [financial] gain». While there is no doubt that this is a collection about dualities, it is their symbiosis that represents a meeting of minds between Antonioli and Demeulemeester, proposing a forward-thinking vision for the enigmatic Ann Demeulemeester brand as it moves forward into a new, collaborative era.
Ann Demeulemeester and Claudio Antonioli
The Belgian designer is known as one of the Antwerp Six: a group of fashion designers who graduated from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the early Eighties. Ann Demeulemeester went on to set up her namesake brand in 1985, gaining international recognition for her dark yet glamorous aesthetic and elegant tailoring. After stepping down from the label in 2013, it was acquired by Claudio Antonioli (founder of multi-brand boutique, Antonioli, and co-founder of streetwear conglomerate, New Guards Group) in 2020.
