There’s something electric happening at Ann Demeulemeester. And not that homogeneous EDM fashion beat some fashion brand’s play on a last-minute whim, no, a deeply cool and considered coldwave electricity that surges straight from the underground clubs, rising above ground.

At Stefano Gallici’s sophomore show for the Belgian fashion house, an incredible vintage Moog modular synth set-up played by Neuf Voix sent out drones and minimal sounds that echoed through the church venue. Keith Emerson would’ve loved it. Dave Gahan did love it, sat front row alongside guests including rising musicians such as October And The Eyes, Bande á part, and Nausea Twins, actor Zoë Bleu Arquette and Instagram’s dark prince, Sheetnoise (most of these DJ’d the afterparty at Paris’ baroque venue Le Carmen). The world Gallici conjures is extremely exciting; of collaboration and appreciation – reshaping the house’s hard-wired romantic rebellion in tune with this new generation. 

The sonic vibrations called to a cast of artistic bohèmes in shredded leathers, silk gowns, biker jackets with angel wing fur collars, and tailoring fitted with straps that fell to the ground like unravelled cassette tape. Knits were shredded and distressed, some appearing to unravel as models walked – their sleeves long and scrunched with tailored white cuffs hanging lower than hands. A beguiling poetry was woven through woollen textures and shapes that wrapped around collars and down coats like regal capes. Two incredible black and white tufted looks almost grew around the model’s body, encasing them. Socks were like bandages emerging from unstrapped, unlaced boots, layers of chiffon, silk and tulle floated like spectral apparitions, and skin-tight leather wielded a sinister blow. The excellent casting expanded the story: Lux Gillespie, Sonny Hall, artist Alexander Carey-Morgan, The Horrors’ Faris Badwan and Ruben and Matthijs from Parisian band Pol. You want to be part of Gallici’s world – it’s authentic, exhilarating, and the parties are excellent.

Today’s Ann Demeulemeester is still Romantic (yeah – with a capital R) and the inspired vision that projected the designer to her iconic status as one of the Antwerp Six still surges strong, but Gallici’s creative license under the name stands to be noted on its own. Like the aforementioned synth set-up that soundtracked the show, the joy of Gallici’s practice is in the analogue – created on instinct, by hand, and therefore imbued with raw emotion. “It demands to be built piece by piece, adding, taking away, morphing things as we go along,” Gallici said in the show notes. It’s how the best artistry evolves.

After the show, to Le Carmen – where the synths rang into the night.