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If anyone gets people to church on time, it’s Ann Demeulemeester. For her loyal following – and for those of us who simply revel in the beauty of her work – each of her shows is a religious experience, much like going to mass. Only, you just have to go twice a year and no one requires you to sing along. This season, the Ann Demeulemeester experience was, quite literally, sacred. “It had to do with making something spiritual but at the same time something unconventional. Something free in spirit. Really free,” Ann told i-D after the show. The collection combined the designer’s raven-esque signature with priestly elements such as a white polo neck with a print resembling the window carvings of a catholic church, and – in an epic move – a long black monk’s cloak, the dramatic fluttering of which had a medieval flair about it. “It had this church serenity,” Ann said. “And in the end, nothing is what it seems, so there’s kind of something dangerous about it.” Combining a sense of ceremonious purity with the Amish-like gothic trademark the D-Meister masters better than anyone, it was an accomplished collection, which took Ann’s aesthetic to a new level. And most of all, it continued to explore the peacefulness and solemnity, which has characterised Demeulemeester’s work in recent seasons. “I want to be positive. I want to look forward with confidence. I know what I’m doing,” she said. “I’m quite serene.”
Text: Anders Christian Madsen
Photography: Mitchell Sams
