Ann Demeulemeester has always commanded a devoted following, but under Stefano Gallici, the brand has transformed into the ultimate rock show of Paris Fashion Week. This season, the atmosphere was electric—standing guests were packed behind barricades, as if waiting for the main act at a concert, crammed together in anticipation of Gallici’s latest vision.
On each chair lay a zine titled Wall of Reference, a grainy black-and-white collage of cultural touchstones—from Dennis Hopper’s documentation of rugged Americana to Glen Luchford’s shots of Lollapalooza 1992. Gallici’s approach extends beyond the runway; a idiosyncratic world builder where conventional campaigns are replaced with visual diaries from his creative circle and limited edition vinyl presses of the soundtrack serve as the ultimate totem to his devoted fans. This was more than a show; it was a manifesto.
If Chemena Kamali’s Chloé is for the day, Stefano Gallici’s Ann Demeulemeester exists only after dark—when the midnight bohemians roam. Both shows, styled by Elodie David Touboul, offered distinct interpretations of bohemian romance, each rooted in a different notion of freedom. Where Kamali’s woman basks in golden-hour nostalgia, all sun-drenched ease and wistful femininity, Gallici’s muse comes alive after dusk, draped in poetic dishevelment—unruly, untamed, and always in motion.
For A/W 25, Gallici envisioned a uniform for the modern vagabond—someone forever on the move, collecting memories like postcards and wearing them like a second skin. Layers clung to the body like armour: distressed shearling shrugged over razor-sharp black suits, the tension between rugged and refined mirroring a life spent balancing rebellion and romance. Fabrics told their own stories—airy white shirts with Victorian sleeves and cobweb distressed knits evoked the passage of time. A wardrobe lived-in and deeply personal.
The collection pulsed with desire, seen in precise tailoring and stripped-down silhouettes—utilitarian fastenings, and stark black-and-white contrasts. Even accessories carried this sense of considered design. Custom Ray-Ban Aviators, oversized with a beaded chain—perfect for the night crawlers Gallici dresses. As the final look disappeared into the shadows, one thing was clear—Gallici isn’t just designing clothes; he’s crafting a world for those who embrace both grit and grandeur. Driving the brand into the future by fearlessly expanding his community of like-minded outsiders. With this fourth show as creative director, Gallici has cemented his place as Demeulemeester's rightful successor. Provocative, poetic, and impossible to ignore.
