Ann Demeulemeester Fall 2004

There are about a million reasons to mull over this particular collection of Ann’s but most of all because it is so good. What prompted me the most, though, were the countless parallels between her FW09 collections (both the men’s and women’s) and this FW04 one. While most of her work, over time, clearly carries over from season to season, all the trademarks we’ve come to expect and love… the similarities between the two are pretty prominent. Who knows if it was intentional or not but either way, it’s sort of neat to draw parallels between the two.

And I know that I always say it, but I really adore designers who have a long-standing, distinct and recognizable style to their work, because I think that is where true creativity lies – in being able to expand and perfect upon a unique vision without hiding behind the superficial world of creating collections around industry trends. There are few people who have done so little altering to their general aesthetic as Ann has in all this time… but for as much as it looks similar at a quick glance, there is so much that has changed within.

The FW09 collections may well have had some pony hair boots instead of leather only, and they also may have had imperious furs and haughty knits and an overall air of luxuriousness… but this one has the same base designs – just minus the frills. There is just something about Ann’s work from this point and previous to it, that makes it stand up just as well. So, while her current work might technically be more refined and posses a new-found urbane air about it, (and is no doubt gorgeous)… it was the raw, disorderly and tousled aspects of her earlier work, that you can see here, that really made me fall in love with her initially.

Amongst this deliciously neutral color palette filled with gathered and bound garments amongst a sea of structured pieces, all of which layered and styled to perfection, it’s the heavy dose of rickety disobedience that gives it that extra energy that appeals to me so much. There is not a ton of fur but what fur is there, is used wisely and provides a nice extra texture, in combination with the matte fabrics and the masterfully placed leather bits, which appear with such lovely effulgence in the right light.

This is sort of unrelated to this specific collection but one thing about Ann in general, that kind of cracks me up, is how she has decidely chosen equestrian boots and black leather gloves as the only consistent accessories that matter, for ages now (and can it really be argued?!)… but when she decides to actually do jewelry – she comes at us with the most insanely intricate and decadent necklaces/earrings known to man.