Ann Demeulemeester. Fall 2020 Ready-to-Wear - Paris Fashion Week.

(Images from the designer and the public domain. Credited to the photographer/company where applicable: Gorunway.com .)


Sébastien Meunier, for his latest collection, has offered a more sleekly and muted affair, whilst at times it feels like a rushed gathering for Ann Demeulemeester's Fall 2020 Ready-to-Wear showing.  Refining the romanticism of the Bryon-esque mystique, he has continued to incorporate the brand's romance with the Victorian era styled aesthetics.  With Fall ensemble, Meunier has portrayed a further mysticism to the Demeulemeester template, by utilizing the mythos of the Unicorn, the national symbol of Scotland in portraying the latest collection of his themed arrays.  

It is a very Celtic affair, with silver headdresses and accessories, wrapped around arms and necks.  Ornamented and ceremonially styled, yet, not as opulent and extravagant as past shows.  In which Meunier has continued on with the gothic and darkened overtures with this collection.  Although it holds more of  a forlorn and sombre affair, within seeking its historical ideas.  He has named Mary the Queen of Scots to be the mantle and influence for the styles portrayed, however the ghostly resonance of Meunier's concepts remain intact.  But, the overall stylization feels overdrawn and exhausted.

Fine wools, draped and fitted whilst contouring the silhouettes.  Skintight leather pants, velvet blazers, coats, with hemmed up and billowing dresses, seen at times with their metal framework exposed.  Gives the collection a slight de-constructred feel, which is moving away from Meunier's more structured looks since being appointed creative director for Ann Demeulemeester's established fashion house. The experimentation with this collection is risky, with Meunier offering more of a stripped back theatrical concept, within its muted presentation, over the more functional styles that he has offered from previous collections.