Pre-Fall 26

Paris, 20th January 2026 - When I started working on precollections last season - a first in the
history of Ann Demeulemeester - the idea was to drift from the narrative of the shows, and
reason in terms of wardrobe rather than venture on the path of my own obsessions - life,
literature, experiences. I was looking for a dialogue between past and present, between the
signs, the codes, and shapes that have quietly defined this house and my own gaze on them.

This collection follows the same train of thought, but I felt the urge not to be stuck, nor to
repeat myself. Thereafter, I worked less in seasonal terms and more on statement pieces that can
endure, shifting from past to present, from Ann to myself: slouchy jackets, leather bikers, varsity
jackets, bombers. Tailoring comes in slouchy volumes with unexpected crops. Denim matters.
Dresses and shirts telegram battered romanticism.

A look into the muses has always been formative, but again, we replaced the known and
familiar, such as Patti Smith, with characters that have embodied the brand without necessarily
wearing it all the time. It’s the attitude I am after: a way to carry oneself. I figured Jamie
Bochert, model and musician, and Johnny Depp: with their I-don’t-give-a-damn ef ortlessness
and strong personality, they embody a modern way to wear Ann.

The palette resonates with the core spirit of the house: shades of black move throughout,
changing from embroidered velvets to brushed wools, to draped cottons; tones of white
modulate from ivory to chalk to pale, becoming impalpable on silk chif ons and gauze; rusted
brown, burgundy, and gold round it all of with a glimpse onto the next show.

To me, this is the house continuing to speak its own language, as the timbre evolves.

Stefano