Menswear Highlight #2; Ann DeMeulemeester

After featuring well-known French fashion house Givenchy as my first highlight, I think it only fair to discuss a lesser-known designer for this second post. Dutch designer Ann DeMeulemeester has enjoyed a long and illustrious career; having studied at Antwerp's famous Royal Academy of Fine Arts, the designer went on to create his eponymous label which soon became a hit with the fashion crowd. Renowned for his refusal to conform to the minimalist theme favoured by many fashion houses, Demeulemeester's collections are always as eccentric as they are beautiful.

Demeulemeester's latest collection certainly does not disappoint - it is ambitious, outrageous and bold, managing to stand out amongst the sea of monochrome seen in other collections. While the collection begins on a relatively tame note; flowing pyjama trousers teamed with chunky knits in muted colour palettes of burgundy and deep colour palettes, subtle details add edge to otherwise simple outfits. Thick chain necklaces and chunky silver rings provide an antidote to the decadence of the velvet coats as DeMeulemeester plays with texture to create masculine outfits with feminine touches (the floral pyjama trousers, for example, are surprisingly more wearable than they sound!)

Floral trousers - Ann DeMeulemeester S/S 2013

Clash of textures; Ann DeMeulemeester S/S 2013

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The main attraction of this collection is the incredible use of colour. Ranging from traditional stone colours to subtle bronze and a gorgeous rust-tinged orange, the beautiful hues truly come to life on the elegant silk of the loose-fit trousers. Texture also plays a key role; tailored suit jackets are made from sumptuous orange suede and teamed with flowing wide-leg suit trousers - the juxtaposition between casual and formal works surprisingly well, managing to look relaxed yet smart enough to qualify as workwear. 

The best word to summarise this collection would be ambitious; the spectrum of colours and the range of cuts and materials used is extremely impressive, especially in the often conservative world of menswear. For daring to be different and succeeding in doing so without being overly outrageous, DeMeulemeester truly deserves to be recognised as one of the highlights of the week.

Ann DeMeulemeester S/S 2013

Ann DeMeulemeester S/S 2013