November 20, 2013
Ann Demeulemeester Exits Fashion
By Miles Socha
PARIS — Fittingly for one of fashion’s melancholy poets, Ann Demeulemeester on Wednesday bowed out of fashion with a letter handwritten with a fountain pen, signed at the end with an “X” to represent a single kiss.
One of the original Antwerp Six who helped put that small Belgian city on the global fashion map with her soigné tailoring and dark glamour, Demeulemeester said she had prepared her exit in concert with the company, controlled by entrepreneur Anne Chapelle, “and they feel ready to bring the brand further into the future.”
“As a young girl, I dreamed of having a voice in fashion,” she wrote. “I worked hard to realize this dream and now I feel that I accomplished this mission. I have always followed my own path.
“A new time is coming both for my personal life and the brand Ann Demeulemeester. I feel it’s time to separate our paths.”
She added that her brand is now an adult “with its own identity and legacy that is able to continue growing without me. I trust the company and the people that worked with me.”
She noted the women’s and men’s collections for fall 2014 would be presented on the runway together during Paris Fashion Week on Feb. 27. (The men’s collection is to be sold in its showrooms in January.)
“I want to thank all of you with all my heart for the trust and support you have given me,” she wrote. “I feel proud of what we realized together.”
Demeulemeester, 53, could not be reached for further comment.
Asked if there was any plan to replace Demeulemeester with another designer, Chapelle told WWD via e-mail, “There is a full team ready in the house, trained by Ann over many years. Nothing will change.”
She noted that the founding designer had a hand in the fall 2014 season “and the soul of Mrs. Demeulemeester will continue to be in all the future collections.”
Asked about the designer’s plans for the future, Chapelle replied: “There are more opportunities in life than fashion.”
She added that she is confident that a business “with such a strong identity will continue growing. We all have a positive view on the future.”
As for the separation, Chapelle stressed there was “no disagreement at all. We still carry the name together,” suggesting Demeulemeester retains a stake.
While she declined to give specifics about the shareholding structure, she said the entity Edu NV controls the company and that she is its “main” shareholder.
A Belgian entrepreneur who had been managing director of Demeulemeester’s business since 1994, Chapelle acquired an undisclosed stake in the company in 2005.
The following year, she took a stake in Haider Ackermann, another designer in the moody vein.
As a possible precursor to Wednesday’s development, Chapelle in June split the Demeulemeester and Ackermann labels into two independent companies. Previously, they were embedded in the same parent, 32 BVBA.
At the time, Chapelle said the change reflected the fact that the Ackermann business has “fully matured over the years, becoming a fully stable and independent business on its own. This is a question of internal optimization, enabling both brands full freedom to grow.”
On Wednesday, Chapelle declined to quantify how the Demeulemeester brand was performing, other than “very well, thank you.”
