The power of an Ann Demeulemeester show is that even if you aren't a card-carrying member of her club, there's something in it for you. For Spring, she showed numerous permutations of her signature look: an unstructured jacket cinched at the back, shown this season with a draped and cowled blouse and narrow cropped trousers. The most striking example, though, came not in black and white (the prototypical Demeulemeester palette) but in coral and nude. The relaxed jacket was a few shades lighter than the bunched and undulating top beneath it, and the pants were candy striped in the same unexpected colors.
What surprised most about this beautiful collection were the short cotton jersey T-shirt dresses, draped and gathered in a way that evoked both the twenties and tunics. Her liberal use of crystals also felt new. She embroidered them in medallions on vests and softly wrapped dresses or, hitting upon one of the season's recurring themes, strung them like long fringe from the choker collars of high-necked tops. Of course, that was less a case of Demeuelemeester chasing trends than it was a happy coincidence. Happy is the way her audience felt as they left the show.
