Mythology

Ann Demeulemeester FW20
By Lakeisha Goedluck | Fashion | 19 January 2020
Above:

Ann Demeulemeester Fashion show in Paris
Menswear Collection Fall Winter 2020

For FW20, Ann Demeulemeester’s creative director Sébastien Meunier invited his audience to spend a morning witnessing his interpretation of The Afternoon of a Faun. A ballet piece by legendary dancer Vaslav Nijinsky that was first performed in 1912, Meunier sampled elements from Léon Bakst’s original set and costume design to inform his collection. 

Complex lighting set the scene, as the showspace was transformed into a mystical woodland. It was immediately evident that movement was at the forefront of Meunier’s mind: translucent tops were paired with fluid black slacks, while dancers’ leotards peeked out from beneath longline coats. Elsewhere, form-fitting leather trousers and jackets with shearling inserts felt rugged — especially in comparison to the delicate lace creations which left the male models’ torsos exposed. 

As for the female models, they were made to look akin to goddesses: they wore ethereal pieces that flowed as they walked. Silk dresses in dark rose and icy lilac were layered over garments in contrasting fabrics, while a crushed velvet ankle-length jacket in sherbet pink glowed iridescently — fitting for a collection steeped in otherworldly mythology. 

In terms of accessories, metal foliage twined around models’ necks and the crowns of their heads like creeping ivy. Similar pieces rendered in autumnal shades cinched blazers in at the waist and served as decorative brooches. In a clever move, heeled boots were made to mimic a fawn’s hooves as a half-human, half-goat creature. A successful homage to the age-old ballet, Meunier, we’re primed for your encore. 

GALLERYCatwalk images from Ann Demeulemeester FW20





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