Designer Profile: Ann Demeulemeester News: I missed a Stephan Schneider show!

Designer Profile: Ann Demeulemeester




I guess I wouldn’t be true to myself if my first post (after the introduction) would have to be about other than my favorite designer, Ann Demeulemeester. Ann is my fashion love. Her incredibly romantic, androgynous style touches me like no other. Her designs are intelligent; the amount of thought she puts in them is amazing;

“I want to cut nonchalance into my clothes. To do that, you have to work with balance. For example, a jacket pocket will hang differently after you've put things in it. Clothes will eventually take the shape of your body — a favorite coat will have a completely different soul than an identical jacket before it has been worn. The idea that garments are alive is a big inspiration. I want to fill them with soul. I've worked on that for a long time through the cut, the fabrics, and the treatments. I want to create the shape of your arm in the sleeve of the jacket.”


Ann loves layering, and primarily works with black and white colors. Her signature, neo-gothic rock-n-roll look is unmistakable, and gives an edge to her collections. I think Ann is also a master of the moving silhouette. The way she cuts, along with her omnipresent use of tassels, buckles, and strings creates a sweeping, exciting movement. Yet, Ann manages to keep a sense of a soft romance in her clothes, and it is that mélange of soft edge, the masculine femininity, the dark romance that makes her a true artist – a designer with a clear philosophy and a strong identity. She never bows to trends, although trends sometimes intersect with her collections. She does not advertise. She lets the clothes speak for themselves, and to me they speak in the most beautiful voice.

A bit of the bio:

Ann graduated in 1981 from the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Art. She was one of the (in)famous Belgian Six, who have brought a fresh wave into world fashion. She produced her first for-sale collection in 1987. Her first catwalk fashion show took place in Paris in 1992. She launched her menswear line in 1998. She originally showed the menswear mixed with the women’s collections. Ann held her first standalone menswear show several months ago in Paris.

You can read the two available interviews with Ann by following these links:

Index Magazine
Lumiere.com

Here are some memorable images from her past and present work.

Spring/Summer 1992



















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Fall/Winter 2005



















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News: I missed the Stephan Schneider Show!!!

Let's face it, in the daft and drab circus that passes for a fashion week in New York, there are almost no shows that a discerning fashion critic would want to attend. I'll let others sneer at JLO & Co, though. I have access to virtually any show in Bryant Park thanks to a friend of mine, but I am not going to any - I simply couldn't be bothered. The only two shows I wanted to see were Cloak and Boudicca, but they don't show in Bryant Park. Imagine then my horror when I checked my Yahoo email yesterday to find out that I was invited to a surprise Stephan Schneider (who is one of the more interesting designers of the new Belgian breed) show and afterparty at Gigantic Brand the day before. Gee, thanks. Who the hell sends out an invite the day of the show?! Yes, I'm pissed.