If there exists an internal playbook about what Ann Demeulemeester “embodies” in 2025, today’s show could be held up as a solid example. Not for its daring, mind you; but for determining what is safely within the brand’s perceived borders. For his fourth runway show, Stefano Gallici figured out that the surest way to get the brand back on the map is by proposing many youthful ideas that all kind of riff on O.G. A.D. rather than something untested and different.
From the sharp deconstructed tailoring to the more romantic ruffles, the raw edges and undone layers, there were the recognizable archetypes of 19th century romantic and ’90s rockstar that seemed destined for fashion-curious indie artists and people wanting to project arty edge. Gallici leaned more towards maximalist stylings of recomposed jersey, boudoir lace, cobwebby knits and distressed workwear that have stronger commercial potential. But his skills are more visible when in minimalist mode: the more severe silhouettes that landed somewhere between period western attire and Hasidic frock coats.
In the brand’s showroom prior to the show, it was interesting to discover how Gallici inserted personal signifiers throughout the collection. That his admiration for Georgia O’Keefe’s reclusive and ascetic lifestyle in New Mexico explained the desert tones, while the worn denim and southwest influences across belts, jewelry and cowboy boots were informed by trips to America. A silk print featured Gallici’s handwriting of love and longing and the drawing of a dream catcher. “I consider this a brand for dreamers,” he explained, himself among them. To wit, a miniature metal notebook accessory to clasp onto a belt loop, its fold-out pages no larger than a thumbnail.
Where the axis was once Antwerp, now it tilts more towards L.A., which made the collaboration with Ray-Ban—see the all-black Aviator and metal beaded metal chain—a perfect fit. Gallici described the collection’s roaming spirit as a parallel for his ongoing creative journey: “I always love to lose my path during my collection because when I lose my path, I find new roads and this brings me to new places that excite me, that get me emotional.”
