October 2, 2023 |
“Existence is fluid. So are identities.” Exploring the ambiguities of dressing, Ann Demeulemeester’s SS24 outing – and Stefano Gallici’s debut collection at the helm of the brand – was a grungy, glamorous rebellion that blurred the lines between gender binaries.
Following Ludovic de Saint Sernin, who departed from the position just six months after he was handed the keys, Gallici – previously the brand’s menswear designer – crafted a narrative that reminisced memorable moments in the founder’s archives – without boundaries.
Unfolding in predominantly black and white, items of clothing intentionally appeared undefined. Belts – layered in chaotic harmony and repurposed as regular belts, corsets-cum-cumberbunds and even arm bands – were a free-flowing articulation of the new creative director’s ambition to offer the wearer the freedom to play with each piece and to make it their own. There isn’t a single, compulsory way to wear Gallici’s threads, only your own uniform, whatever that may be.
Baggy bottoms, excellent suiting, sheer dresses, leather aprons, matrix-style trench coats and asymmetric silk tunics were worn by both male and female models and styled in such a rich variety of ways. A burst of blue – reflecting Demeulemeester’s work in the ‘90s – took form as a sexy, sheer shift dress that draped to the models ankles and clung to her skin like it was fired with static electricity.
Gallici got the dark sensuality of the brand just right, and certainly hit the mark when it came to evoking the founder’s legacy, but his own vision was clear cut. At Stefano Gallici’s Ann Demaulemeester, identities are infinite.
Photography courtesy of Ann Demeulemeester.
