MILAN — Add Ann Demeulemeester to the pre-collections’ fashion calendar.
On the heels of a strong fall 2024 sales campaign, the Paris-based fashion house said Wednesday that it is planning to unveil its first pre-collection next month.
Creative director Stefano Gallici’s resort 2025 lineup will be unveiled via appointments between May 21 and 24 at the brand’s storied showroom on Rue de Saintonge in Paris.
Gallici was named to the top creative job last June, succeeding Ludovic de Saint Sernin, who exited the brand after only six months.
Gallici has since unveiled two collections for the house, the most recent, for fall 2024, showing more of his grip on the brand’s rich history and archives and a “personal vision, infused with intriguing rawness,” as WWD noted in the show review.
The more directional approach paid off, according to the Ann Demeulemeester label. The house said sales for fall 2024 increased 44 percent versus the spring 2024 collection, also designed by Gallici, driven by a strong performance of the Wardrobe Collection, a selection of fashion essentials or carryovers meant to complement seasonal lines. The house said that the lineup represented 20 percent of fall 2024 sales.
“This strategic expansion of the product range not only demonstrates Ann Demeulemeester’s commitment to meeting the evolving demands of its discerning clientele, but also underscores the brand’s agility in responding to market trends, solidifying its position as a leading force in the fashion industry and reinforcing its dedication to reaching new audiences on an international scale,” the company said in a statement.
In a recent interview with WWD, Gallici emphasized his commitment to updating the fashion lexicon established by the brand’s founder, revealing he maintains close ties with her and speaks with her weekly.
“I think we share the same humble approach to design, and similar references…it would make absolutely no sense to disrespect her language…her concepts are still tremendously modern,” Gallici said.
“When I look at her world, I see it as a creative and explorative landscape. The archive is a forest to step into,” he added.
Stefano Gallici
Courtesy of Ann Demeulemeester
One of the original Antwerp Six who helped put that small Belgian city on the global fashion map with her soigné tailoring and dark glamour, “Queen Ann,” as WWD anointed her in a headline following a blockbuster collection in 1995, bowed out of fashion in 2013 to embark on other ventures, namely pottery and ceramics.
In 2020, the Ann Demeulemeester label, including its complete archive, the headquarters, its historic flagship in Antwerp, and its showroom space in Paris, was acquired by the Antonioli Group, established by retail maverick Claudio Antonioli.
Since taking full control of the company, Antonioli shifted almost all manufacturing to Italy and trimmed the number of wholesale doors, eyeing a retail expansion for the brand and restoring its high-end positioning.
Antonioli founded his first, namesake Milan retail outpost in 1987 and is a cofounder of streetwear conglomerate and Off-White licensee New Guards Group, which was acquired by Farfetch in 2019. The entrepreneur later established a company called Dreamers Factory encompassing Ann Demeulemeester and future projects that relate to his personal passions.