Object: Ensemble
Designer:
Ann Demeulemeester
(born 1959)
Date: Fall 1996
Medium: Wool, wool knit, and suede
Country: Belgium
Credit Line: Gift of Ann Demeulemeester : Collection Fall/Winter 96-97
Object number: 97.71.1
DescriptionAsymmetrical ensemble in black wool and wool knit: one armed asymmetrical jacket; long asymmetrical cut black wool skirt with long train and diagonal silver metal zipper; one armed asymmetrical black knit blouse; single right hand glove in black knit; and signature black suede short boots with curved heel and red soles
Label Text:Ann Demeulemeester altered the construction of a traditional suit by turning the jacket on the bias, thus giving it an asymmetrical appearance. Ann Demeulemeester’s work is characterized by austere lines, disciplined asymmetry, and a dark palette. She became known in the 1980s as part of “The Antwerp Six,” an avant-garde group of Belgian fashion designers that also included Martin Margiela. The New York Times credits Demeulemeester and Martin Margiela with “rupturing the close-knit cabal of the fashion establishment in Paris.” Demeulemeester’s finely tailored suits brought a feminine touch to the deconstruction movement.
Exhibitions:
- The Tailor's Art
- 50 Years of Fashion, 1947 - 1997
- Fashion, A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of the Museum at FIT (Part Two)
- Trend-ology
- Reinvention and Restlessness: Fashion in the Nineties