Underneath that cool Parisian exterior, Sébastien Meunier nurtures a provocative streak. Carrying over from the romantic, William Blake–themed men’s collection he showed in January, the designer decided to explore a more nuanced, Gothic-tinged tale for his women’s collection.
The result, as Meunier put it, was “a little bit more Mary Shelley—they have something in common, but this is stronger, slightly more dense and activist,” he said. Where the men’s show highlighted innocence, the women’s outing focused on “experience.” Strength and darkness are implicit in that. There was also a flirtation with bondage because, as the designer allowed, “there’s always a little notion of constraint in our collections.”
On the runway, that translated into the deconstructed, paint-it-black kind of clothes Demeulemeester fans adore. Short peplum skirts in soft layers of fabric mixed with bodysuits, bustiers, and tailored jackets strung with double-dose belts and accessorized with what may be the sexiest gloves of the season. The corset trend got considerable play in wide leather belts that laced up the sides. Elsewhere, pieces were sliced, diced, shortened, turned inside out, and otherwise tweaked until they were raw. Occasionally, Meunier offered painterly gathered and draped white tops that, taken separately, gave the collection a bit more room to breathe. A couple of coats, like the sweeping black trench or the shearling number that followed right after, hit the sweet spot. “They’re more somber, prickly, and seasoned, and they are free to play every character they want,” the designer noted. “It’s less romantic and more noir.” Interpret that as you will.
