"It all stopped feeling so Patti Smith and a little more 2014 Tumblr grunge revival."
It has been long since Ann Demeulemeester left her eponymous brand — but in the last decade or so since her departure, the Antwerp Six legacy label has remained pretty tethered to its original blueprints.
The same could be said of Demeulemeester’s SS25 collection, what with all its wispy ribbons and stock loads of black, but there were certainly firsts up creative director Stefano Gallici’s sleeve when he took on his third season with the brand.
Lined in the center of the runway were heaps of white lilies. Often noted for their symbolism of rebirth and purity, Gallici intimated that this would be a step off the Demeulemeester path into something other, something of his own.
The show came in good and comfortable; the well-tailored Victorian revival a la original Demeulesmeester was delightful and harked back to seasons under Ann in the early 2010s. Pointelle had been done under Sébastien Meunier along with some of his own versions of ethereal ‘70s. But as the show went on, Gallici tested the waters a bit: tattered oversized tees, graphic text, blue jeans. At their introduction, it all stopped feeling so Patti Smith and a little more 2014 Tumblr grunge revival.
Even though some components didn’t quite gel with what we know to be Demeulemeester, Gallici’s heart was in the right place. To press and in show notes, he explained that the whim and intentional discord were meant to evoke the “endless possibilities of lost and found,” a statement that echoes the “ephemeral yet eternal” line stamped throughout the clothing. The collection, titled “The Dialogue of Another Day,” was an exploration of past iconography from the art world and Demeulemeester's repertoire itself. He cited Hunter S. Thompson, François Villon, Dennis Hopper, Jack Kerouac, and Stevie Nicks as his demi-muses for the season. Nicks’ Rumours-era influence, in particular, could not be understated, from the lace accents to the headpieces and trailing chiffon.
Amidst all the references and fabrics, it did feel hard to keep up. Rather than achieving a boho “I just threw this all together and happened to look fabulous” platitude, it became a more contrived attempt to recreate an era or feeling by throwing in everything you know about it.
What prevailed most strongly and not surprisingly so was the footwear, a combination of boots, sneakers, and ballet slippers. Best showcased in looks 26 and 27, the suede knee-high sneakers and lace-up ballet flats stole the show. While not necessarily in line with the Demeulemeester leather boots laced to death, they (like the rest of the collection) take a more delicate take on the brand's aesthetics.
In all, Gallici’s fast-casual approach to some of the collection detracted from its overall ethos, but what was good was really good, and it’s clear he’s still got a hold on Ann’s original vision. 🌀 7.1
Sophia Scorziello is a freelance writer from Connecticut who misses living in Los Angeles. Follow her on Twitter for unsolicited takes and Spotify links.