Ann Demeulemeester

With a career spanning more than three decades, Ann Demeulemeester is one of the world’s most respected creative voices. The Ann Demeulemeester brand has come to represent an intelligent approach to fashion – rising above trends and instead offering a continually evolving system of dressing that is both deeply personal to the wearer and profoundly relevant to its context – thanks to its integrity and fierce independence.

For Ann Demeulemeester, fashion is a form of communication. Her complex language of contrasts covers a whole gamut of emotions. The tension is highly poetic – her clothes reveal many layers of «soul». They are simple, the way a knife is simple. Serious but never severe, meticulous but experimental, strong but always sensual. Known for her elegant tailoring and dark yet glamorous aesthetic, she created a serene and darkly romantic world with an intriguing mix of edgy rebellion and sophistication.

Demeulemeester graduated from the now-infamous fashion department at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Art in 1981. After founding her eponymous label with long-term creative partner Patrick Robyn in 1985, Demeulemeester quickly became a key figure in redefining the voice of fashion. She was an instrumental member of the Antwerp Six designers, who stormed London fashion week in 1986, changing the international reputation of Belgian design. Demeulemeester cemented her presence with shows at Paris fashion week, and stepped down from her label in 2013. She has since experimented with a variety of new formats, including sculpture, tableware, furniture and design. In 2020 Ann Demeulemeester welcomes Antonioli, who takes over the brand with great respect for the past and a clear vision for the future.