This season, a runway made from desert sand led the way for Ann Demeulemeester’s freedom fighters, complete with wide brim leather hats, tassled trims and the slouchy insouciance of a vagabond. A Jon Hassell soundtrack resonated loudly with Demeulemeester’s nomadic collection as the mood traversed from Indian pyjamas, Saharan prints to Turkish Fez’s. The tassel motif appeared throughout, from a narrow sparkly trim on the copious amounts of layered chiffon, hanging from individual buttons, neatly lined up to chic effect on evening dresses and there was even a full-blown jacket that was covered in hundreds of tasseled threads that was both as lavish as it was louche. Backstage after the show Ann told i-D, “In every paper and on every television channel, you see the desert and you see people fighting for their freedom. As an artist I think you capture the vibes of the moment and you try to do something with it by giving hope, beauty, elegance.”
Text: Caroline Newell
Photography: Mitchell Sams
