Ann Demeulemeester Spring 2027 Finds Beauty in the Wreckage
For Spring 2027, Stefano Gallici took Ann Demeulemeester into the California desert, but this was never going to be a glossy West Coast fantasy. His collection, titled “Lonesome Heaven,” grew from a solo journey through the region and the quieter, harsher imagery he encountered along the way. The result brought the house’s familiar dark romanticism into contact with sun-bleached decay, weathered surfaces and clothing that appeared to have accumulated a history before ever reaching the runway.
Gallici reduced the color story primarily to black, white and blue, allowing construction and texture to become the collection’s real vocabulary. Pale opening looks layered white, ivory, chalk and ecru across minidresses, asymmetric skirts and apron-like pieces, with tulle, silk crepon, ruched jersey and knitted straps creating movement around the body. Cutouts and trailing ribbons prevented all that softness from becoming precious. These clothes looked romantic, but never untouched.
That tension became even stronger as the collection moved into distressed denim, bleached cargo pants, faded graphics and workwear marked with rust-like staining. Tuxedos appeared partially destroyed or turned inside out, exposing linings that would normally remain hidden. Aviator-inspired leather outerwear arrived with a deliberately worn patina. Gallici’s best moments came when elegance and deterioration occupied the same look, making the clothes feel collected, repaired, worn and rediscovered rather than freshly manufactured for effect.
The references remained unmistakably Ann Demeulemeester. Lingerie elements resurfaced alongside Victorian and Edwardian influences, military details and Gallici’s now-recognizable Napoleon jacket. His more recent fascination with ’70s tailoring also continued. What kept the collection from becoming an exercise in archival quotation was the abrasion surrounding those codes. Lace met utility. Tailoring met damage. Delicacy was allowed to look imperfect.
Music also played a major role in defining the collection’s atmosphere. Ethel Cain, whose music accompanied Gallici during his travels, closed the runway in an Edwardian-inspired black Chantilly lace dress developed with the designer and is also connected to a capsule for the house. Chelsea Wolfe brought the soundtrack onto the runway with a live performance, while Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme appeared as a model. The casting reinforced something increasingly important about Gallici’s Ann Demeulemeester: the brand is cultivating a cultural community around the clothes rather than simply borrowing musicians for front-row visibility.
Spring 2027 works because Gallici understands that Ann Demeulemeester has always been most compelling when beauty feels slightly dangerous. “Lonesome Heaven” does not polish away the dust, stains or damage. It gives them equal importance alongside lace, tailoring and romantic silhouette. In a season crowded with perfection, Ann Demeulemeester made the stronger case for clothing that looks like it has already lived.
