Ann Demeulemeester Men's F/W 2012

[CDG Diffusion Line]

if this is an actual question, i would suggest contacting the flagship store in antwerp.

already tried that today. chill bro.

[Vanna]

Apart from the blue (Which is Haider Ackermann tacky), I really like a lot of this. Seems paired down, not as overstyled as usual. Particularly love the gradient pieces.

[kunk75]

Agree, best collection I have seen. I love all the shapes and yes, it echoes SS11 in it's simplicity although I wouldn't see it as a natural progression from there. The gradients are lovely, but will have limited shelf life. Did I see front zip boots a la RO FW11? Really love most of this.

agreed, and I've never been a big fan of Ann

[darkbydesign]

^^Same here.

I respect Ann and her designs, but only own a couple of pieces in my own personal collection.

With this season, I have to admit, there are at least 10 items in there that I love! I feel like this is a very modern feel, coming from her usual minimalist take.

I'm a fan of this F/W 2012. Great knits, love the gradient jackets and pants, and the boots with red tops.......sick!

[cjbreed]

agreed, and I've never been a big fan of Ann

thirded. and i have been an admirer of ann but rarely a consumer, because i fear i would have to make a major investment in order to make it work properly for me, since again i think ann goes best with more ann. but i am tempted. i am kinda feeling a change coming on for me.

the boots look cool. the quality seems to be there. the fabrics look very nice. and everything but the gradients (and electric blue obviously) has real staying power. its elegant, stylish, and maybe more subtle, or less overtly romantic/poetic/bard of the renaissance vibe thing that i used to get from ann, that i loved but would never wear. not sure if that makes sense but, well...

[CHRIS]

wish the gradients were more gradual and subtle like the women's spring collection. and the colors are so bright! not even as deep/sensual as haider's, so kind of unexpected and... =(

but leave it to ann to renew my appreciation in this whole skirt/gown thing. and after i essentially declared my collective sense of distaste? that bitch

[beardown]

When I got up today, this is one of the things I was looking forward to and I am not disappointed. Ann is always my favorite presenter overall during FW traditionally and I feel like it's the strongest collection overall so far for Paris.

I can do without the electric blue pieces but I can see and appreciate the role they play in the line. I even really like the gradients...especially the black and red. But the magic of the line I think is in the whole presentation. For me, seeing her line is like escapism in a way...I could carry off very few of these outfits off but that doesn't stop me from falling in love with some of them. It's always the details and nuances that do it for me with her shows and the outerwear and footwear have never disappointed me. Invariably there are always some pieces that are over the top in the eyes of the average person but it's likely in a good way and I see those as important aspects of the bigger picture.

And of course it's always nice to be able to look forward to her presentations and be consistently blown away. Not my favorite fW season from her but very, very impressive nonetheless.

[nostromodo]

I love these also. Esp the gredients boots and knits. Overall very clean but The color mix makes it not too simple. Great!!

[pseudonym]

It is not surprising that many members here that are usually into Rick like this. It walks a very parallel line with much of what we have seen in 2 or 3 different Rick shows. As pointed out, front zips, gradients, long knits, etc..

Is it Ann though? Many have said yes above, but I think it is quite the departure from her normal 'romantic' feel. Indeed 'futuristic' as someone called it, and a much different 'electric' color pallet than her usual rich wholesome hues.

Am I disappointed in it, no way. I see tons of pieces I'd love to own. I guess I would agree that there comes a time where designers need to shift away from predictability.

It definitely highlights her range of talent, but it doesn't speak to me as sincerely as most other FW collections of hers.

[beardown]

Seems to me that it's all very Ann.

If she does feathers and boas and fur and dainty things, people say it's too romantic or too dandy. If she takes it away, then it's not romantic enough or dandy enough?

There's no mistaking this as a body of work...anyone who has been a fan would recognize it as hers. I guess this goes back to the age old, 'How do you evolve and progress without losing your main style and message?'

Ultimately I think the answer to that is 'very subtly' and I feel that's what's changed here. Not a lot but that's not a bad thing.

Sometimes it's better to be consistently really good than occasionally amazing. And that's one of the reasons I really like her work is that it's consistent without being predictable or boring. And I think in fashion that is much easier said than don.

[rudo]

I love it. I think it's a great collection. I don't find it less romantic in terms of clothes, I just think her styling of the runway has changed in a less dramatic way, the clothes are still very Ann.

[pseudonym]

Good points Beardown and Rudo.

I do agree, you can see the Ann in it. Especially in the outerwear. The same pieces in pure black with the same styling would be last 2 FW without the belts,boas, wraps and over done styling (as called out).

I, for one, disagree that her shows were over styled in the past. I really liked that element of 'costume' on the runway that she brought in the past, and did not take it literally. This show, with the nature of gradients and colors, could not be styled the same way or it would have been over the top.

I guess thats probably why I wasn't entirely wowed by it. I know on the racks though, its gonna look great!

[CHRIS]

i thought the opposite - that what makes them interesting is how contrasting the shades are, so that you almost have to think whether those are boots or the trousers have melted into them. and the cuts are really nice. also, the hairstyles are great.

maybe something in between the two.

everyone keeps saying 'gradient', but when i look at it (and when everyone else eventually does from afar) some of the clothes (will) just look straight color blocked

[Magic1]

I liked this a lot, but I prefer the previous two seasons.

None of the pants offer anything interesting for me except for the graded colors, which seem difficult to pull off even in the best of lighting...I think in a normal setting they wouldn't work well. I think the graded colors work far better on the jackets, where they complement the aesthetic rather than with the pants, where the gradient seems to be the only interesting detail.

What really annoys me is how each photo is cropped. It's disorienting and takes away from the composition of the garments and overall look. I now realize the photos for every designer are cropped this way. big mistake

[beardown]

I kind of like the gradient the way it's presented here...more so than the dip dye type of fade that you get with something like Gellar did several years back (may still be doing).

The really extended gradient almost looks like it's faded to me if the material goes from dark to light. With the red and black, I think it just creates another visually interesting line that your eye focuses on.

But when you compare the Rick leather gradient (which was kind of a trainwreck, if not just for the halftone material he used to create it peeling up and flaking) to me, this seems like a way better solution to doing something like that in a more interesting way. Definitely a stretch to compare the blazers to leather but I guess what I'm saying is that if you want a gradation, you have to solve the problem of how to pull it off to where it doesn't look like a mistake and falls between sudden and too extended.