Luckily, not all designers follow a calculated marketing strategy or rely on trend forecasts to create a successful product. .
Ann Demeulemeester is one of those designers, a true outsider who has never been interested to look out for trends, but always remained true to her vision of androgynous beauty, intricate cuts which capture movements in shocking and apparent simplicity and more than often limiting herself to a palette of blacks greys and whites. Demeulemeester cut is what makes a Demeulemeester piece: “I can make 10 jackets of the same color, same two pockets and same length, that will look like 10 completely different jackets when you put them on, It’s about the way they are cut”, she says. “The cut of the clothes is not something immediately obvious, it`s more like an attitude that seems to be coming from the person, it’s just how it feels, but it`s already cut in the clothes”, she explains in an other interview.
in November 2013 she left her label in the hands of those who had helped her create it, her departure from the fashion house was announced in a hand written letter sent to every prominent fashion figure that had supported her throughout the years. In October 2014 Patty Smith and P.J. Harvey joined her for the presentation of The Girl of Flanders book at Dover Street Market in London. The two musicians performed a short acoustic set in a first time collaboration.
Ann Demeulumeester and Patti Smith have a very strong and long-lasting friendship and the designer has always spoken of Patty Smith as a great influence in her work and a true soul mate. The picture of Smith on the Horses record shot by Robert Mapplethorpe, mesmerized and inspired the young Ann Demeulemeester.
Some time later she tracked down Patti Smith and sent her a package tied with black ribbons.
“On the other side of the world, shadows fell on the girl who had recorded Horses. With her true love gravely ill, she was fated to continue life without him. At a time of deep loneliness she received a package from Antwerp—an exquisite white box tied with black ribbon—like a photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe. She set it on her worktable by the window, laid the ribbons aside, and raised the lid. There, beneath layers of immaculate tissue, were three white shirts“ reads the forward of the book written by Patty Smith.
That was the beginning of their friendship, which also lead to two collaborations. ‘Woolgathering’ the Spring Summer collection in 2000, which takes the name from a short autobiographical novel written by Patty Smith. Excerpts from the novel are embedded into the garments made of silk, tulle and cotton and Smith red some extracts during the runway presentation.
The other collaboration happened in 2006 for the Fall Winter menswear collection, in which Smith walked down the catwalk carrying a clarinet.
There is palpable link between Ann Demeulemeester work and the music world, her shows are often backed by music from by the likes of sonic youth, birthday party, suicide and obviously Patty Smith. This has been used at times by critics to dismiss her work, labeling it as Gothic or rockiest, but the magic of her cut allowed the brand to find its place in a varied market and not only one niche, in fact Demeulemeester clientele isn’t only the rock type.
Demeleumester fits her womanswear collection on different body shapes, her own and some friends, each representing a different type. “You need to do this,” she says, “or you are making haute couture, which will be perfect, of course, but only for one woman. My clothes are worn by many different women, each with a different body. It’s my job to find a solution that will fit them all.” The same applies to the male form.
Ann Demeulemester label also produce womenswear and menswear shoes, her boots became another important signature of Demeulemeester style.
Other type of merchandise are jewellery and various accessories which have the distinctive appearance of her work and could be perhaps be considered a strategic market plan as perfumes are for other fashion designers.
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