Ann Demeulemeester to be special guest at Pitti Uomo 101

By

Elena Passeri

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Nov 5, 2021

Ann Demeulemeester, the iconic label founded in Antwerp, Belgium, and acquired by Italian businessman Claudio Antonioli in 2020, has been chosen as special guest at the winter edition of leading menswear show Pitti Uomo, which will be held in Florence on January 11-13. On Wednesday January 12, Ann Demeulemeester will star in a special event staged at the Stazione Leopolda venue in the Italian city.

“We have always loved Ann Demeulemeester’s style, both for the label’s ability to be different, quietly but steadfastly occupying a specific niche in international fashion, and for its ability to renew itself while remaining faithful to its original idea,” said Lapo Cianchi, director of communication and events at show organiser Pitti Immagine. “The label’s new approach, initiated by a visionary entrepreneur like Claudio Antonioli, works on these features in an ideal dialogue with founder [Ann Demeulemeester] and her canons. We are honoured to connect again in Florence with a journey that began 40 years ago, in 1982. The event conceived for Pitti Uomo 101 will be special for its energy, sparked by an interplay of different forms of creative expression, paying special attention to the younger generations with a narrative that explores simultaneously the future, present and past of Ann Demeulemeester’s fashion,” added Cianchi.
 
Ann Demeulemeester graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 1981, and in 1982 she began to take part with her creations in fashion events and competitions. In 1987, she launched her eponymous label with a first commercial collection, working with Patrick Robyn, her long-standing creative partner. Ann Demeulemeester’s first Paris show in 1992 immediately put the label on the international fashion map.

The designer left the label in 2013, and has since been experimenting with various new means of artistic expression. In 2020, Ann Demeulemeester was acquired by Claudio Antonioli, a Milanese entrepreneur and fashion talent scout, who took charge of the label with the utmost respect for its past and a clear vision for the future. The mission is to reposition Ann Demeulemeester as a luxury label, while staying true to its brand image, a fashion lexicon of stark contrasts expressing a complete range of emotions. Renowned for elegant tailoring and darkly glamorous aesthetics, Ann Demeulemeester has created a serene, twilight world of romance through an intriguing blend of edgy irreverence and sophistication.