How Ann Demeulemeester captivated a new generation of fans

For a long time, Ann Demeulemeester was regarded a designer’s designer – the pronunciation of her name alone posed a sort of phonetic barrier for those outside of Belgium, where she founded the label in 1985. Part of the Antwerp Six, the house quickly emerged as a pervasive influence in fashion, as hordes of fans were attracted to its dark romanticism and blunt femininity.

Outside that bubble, the label remained relatively cult, commercially successful but under the radar – the casually tossed off answer from your most fashionable friend when you ask where their immaculately constructed, mysteriously draped coat is from: Ann, duh.

But the times, they are a‑changing, and a new cabal of celebrities are shining a spotlight on the fashion house, which has cycled through three creative directors since the founder’s handwritten farewell in 2013, with Stefano Gallici now at the helm. Last weekend’s AW26 show in Paris was attended by ​“friends of the house” including Gabriette, Lourdes Leon and Tokischa. The collection was ​“subversive, drenched with memories and the longing of rebellious days”, as per the press notes, featuring fringed waistcoats, upturned denim jeans and sweeping coats. Billy Idol and Wet Leg singer Rian Teasdale walked the runway, following in the footsteps of Amelia Gray, FACE cover star Sophia Stel and Lux Gillespie, who have previously walked for the brand.

It used to be really only Patti Smith, a devout fan of the brand and a close friend of Ann’s, who was flying its flag in mainstream circles. But we’re seeing more of its cinched tailoring, ruffles, billowy shirts and on red carpets and in magazine spreads – worn by the likes of Charli xcx, Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and Amelia Gray.

In 2023, Ann was responsible for one of the year’s most talked-about red carpet moments after Law Roach sent Hunter Schafer to the Oscars after party wearing a single white feather across her breasts. ​“It was the ultimate testament of confidence, beauty and grace,” says Roach. ​“The top was barely there, and she carried it as if it was a full gown.” Those familiar with Demeulemeester might recall the iconic feather bustier of SS92, tied around the model’s torso with a simple cable. A recurring motif since the designer’s formative years, the ever-present dove feather is classic Ann – perfection and fragility in one.

Feathers also heavily featured on Charli xcx’s viral Met gala look last year: a black suit jacket and sweeping sheer skirt with a feather trim and a sexy slit giving way to thigh-high boots. Plumes framed her face and gathered at the chest. Truly Edgar Allen Poe’s raven come to life. Rihanna, too, styled by Jahleel Weaver, strutted into the Met Gala after party in a three-piece Ann look of satin and leather. Soft and hard.

Ann was the natural choice for Charli, says stylist Chris Horan, whose recent work with the pop star has solidified their relationship with the brand. ​“I’m inspired by a lot of characters that exhibit that sort of dark romance,” says Horan, ​“like Helena Bonham Carter. It’s witchy and sexy and Charli is drawn to that too.” Of all the fashion houses who submitted proposals to dress Charli for the Met Gala, Ann was the clear frontrunner. ​“They crushed it,” says Horan, recalling Charli’s one-word reaction to seeing the look for the first time: ​“Sick.”

It would be remiss not to acknowledge the fact that this spotlight dovetails with the resurgence of indie-sleaze (see: Demeulemeester’ military jacket and slouchy knitwear) as well as the resurrection of a soft-goth aesthetic in pop culture. It’s a look embodied by the penetrative stares and razor-thin eyebrows of models including Gabbriette and Amelia Gray. The latter has walked Demeulemeester shows several times: her SS25 look was both equal parts a rock ​‘n’ roll and majestic, as she strolled down the runway in a billowing white shirt and silver headpiece, as though returning from a raging afters. Demeulemeester is truly timeless, notes Gray. ​“I’ve always been drawn to the brand’s approach to grunge expression and gender neutrality,” the model tells THE FACE. ​“It’s played such a significant role in helping me find and define my personal style.”

It’s true that Gray’s style – tough and sultry like a hickey – slots seamlessly into the Demeulemeester moodboard. The same can be said for the actor Sophie Thatcher, who, suitably grungey, starred in the label’s ​“Kids of Los Angeles” campaign. Likewise, Demeulemeester was a no-brainer for Jenna Ortega’s goth-inspired Wednesday press tour last year; months later, she sat front row at their show.

More indicative of the brand’s growing visibility are the new but less obvious Ann acolytes such as Kim Petras, whose style in the past has skewed ultrafeminine and tongue in cheek. The pop princess sat front row at last season’s show, amongst Ortega, Taylor Hill, Ty Dolla $ign and Demi Lovato, in a state of undress: a white shirt dress thrown seductively off her shoulders, fabric pooling in the nook of her elbow. ​“It was really dramatic, and it helped me build a character and feel confident at the show,” says Petras. ​“I loved it. I felt like a ghost running away. It’s so romantic to dream up a goth look and a gothic tale. I love to indulge in it.” Horan sees the dichotomy, too: these twin desires to feel sexy but also protected. ​“I think it’s a response to people wanting to have some armour in this world, some toughness – but still want to look hot,” he says. ​“Ann strikes a good balance.”

Naturally, these celebrity co-signs and viral moments are creating a buzz. Demand for what devotees affectionately call ​“early Ann” is soaring. The resale market is booming. Just ask Nathalie Wlostowski, owner of the Antwerp-based Vaniitas, which specialises in Maison Martin Margiela, AF Vandevorst, Rick Owens, and Ann. (She also runs the popular fan account @ann_demeulemeester_archive, where 34,000 people get their daily dose of sartorial darkness.)

“When I started, I was selling shirts for £60,” says Wlostowski. ​“I’ve always been super competitive in pricing but with dark fashion becoming more popular a lot of resellers have hopped on the bandwagon and things get sold within 10 seconds. If I want something, I snatch it up in one to three seconds.” Wlostowski, a die-hard early Ann fan herself, is disheartened by these superficially jacked-up prices, a result, she says, of an uptick in celebs and taste makers clamouring for archive garments, subsequently driving resellers to take advantage – ​“scrambling so they overpay and then they overcharge, and the snowball keeps rolling”.

The bubble will pop as it always does, and trends will pass as they always do – but this recent exposure, driven by stars and the people who dress them, feels less like a revival than a recognition of what’s always been there. It’s a reminder that some fashion persists not because it adapts, but because it articulates a feeling that never goes away.

Two things can be true at once: celebs are tired of the competitive nature of turning out a fresh-off-the-runway look; instead, they’re seeking something a bit darker, edgier, with a storied history. Famous faces have undoubtedly contributed to the uptick in wearers. But for many devotees there has never been a recalibration of taste. Being a Demeulemeester fan is less a trend than a lifelong design commitment. ​“They want a soul again. I’ve always worked with this emotion. That’s why people are turning toward me, I think,” Demeuleester said back in 2006. Twenty years later, the same is still true.

Julia Fox thinks as much. ​“I love Ann Demeulemeester because the brand refuses to twist or contort itself to suit the trend of the month. There’s a deep artistic integrity at its core and an unwavering commitment to vision over validation. That’s why so many people, like myself, truly treasure the clothes. Wearing them feels like belonging to something real and enduring, not just momentarily participating in a disposable fad.” At the very least, it’s high time you learn how to pronounce Demeulemeester.