Ann Demeulemeester. Portrait by Patrick Robyn.
Ann Demeulemeester launched her eponymous label in 1987, together with her husband and creative partner Patrick Robyn. For a long time, the designer was known for her simple designs, which nevertheless appeared multi-layered through sophistication and details. In 2013, Demeulemeester left her label to try new creative formats. Now, she designs very successful porcelain, tableware and furniture under Serax. SLEEK Editor Anja Prinz meets with Ann Demeulemeester to talk about self discovery, learning from the world around us and the emotional connection one can have with design.
SLEEK: Is identity about a space within ourselves?
Ann Demeulemeester: I think identity is a voice. You look within yourself, you have an idea of a dream and then you try to translate it into the world and give something. Identity is adding something to the world that isn’t already there. You add your heart, your mind, your ideas and talents to create something unique.
S: Isn’t it also about starting out when we’re young, with our dreams and visions and the idea of who we want to be?
AD: I think we’re passengers. I only recently became aware of this. When you’re young, you want to change the world, albeit in a tiny way. You want to do things better and use your own talent to do this. The world can only get better if everyone applies their own talent because the combination of all our talents can be amazing. I’m a designer trying to invent a new kind of beauty. I prefer to believe in the good within people. When I look at the world around us, it’s really shocking. I don’t know what to say. We must fight these negative energies and believe in goodness. We can act and leave behind something that inspires other people.
S: There was a time when you were very supportive to me personally. And not because I knew you personally, but because of what your fashion expresses. When I was 20, I bought two of your pieces from a second-hand shop in London. This was shortly after my mother’s death, and wearing them made me feel protected and empowered in the solitude of my grief.
AD: That’s a very moving compliment. We don’t show ourselves to the world just as we are, that’s important to me. You have to feel ready to face certain things. I understand that very well because I can’t face a situation if I’m not wearing the right clothes and if I feel insecure. It’s like making a small connection between you and your skin, your skin and your clothes. It’s all very intimate. You can’t face the world unless you’re mentally and physically prepared.
Image Courtesy of Ann Demeulemeester.
S: After leaving the world of fashion, your curiosity led you to immerse yourself in other creative worlds. What happened?
AD: I think the most important thing for me is creating, and initially I focused on clothes. However, the rhythm of fashion is so challenging and demanding that I reached my limits. When I turned 50, I started thinking about what else I wanted to do with my life. Just carry on and still be on the runway at 80 or try something completely new, start from scratch and be a young woman again – all these questions came up. The chance to be a vulnerable beginner suddenly seemed so tempting. I took that step and decided to give up the fashion world, also to give myself the opportunity to be free, to have time and just see what might happen. I didn’t have a plan; I just wanted to let nothing happen. First, I planted a garden with my own fruit. I’ve learned so much about nature and plants. Picking an ordinary tomato became the best the world could offer me. Then I got interested in porcelain because I wanted a plate for my tomatoes [laughs]. Porcelain is the most difficult type of pottery to make, but I didn’t care. I really wanted to make the most beautiful, most transparent porcelain. So I took classes, soaked up knowledge of techniques and the craft, and I travelled. I went to England, France and Germany and I felt like the happiest person in the world. It felt like a completely new beginning and after four years I was ready. Isn’t that great? Just saying, okay, I am fully myself and I will create what I need. I found it so inspiring that after making porcelain I decided to make cutlery and design glassware. I just wanted to be surrounded by beautiful things because it’s all nourishment for my soul. It’s not a question of whether I can afford it, it’s more a question of searching out what I want. And if I can’t find it, then it’s just great to make what I don’t have myself. Actually it was always like that. If I couldn’t find the right shoe, the perfect pair of trousers or whatever, I decided to make them myself. It’s never been a plan, it’s always about a need for something.
S: It feels so good to hear that. I’m thinking a lot about the way my life’s going right now and what I want and don’t want any more. For so many years, I struggled to achieve clarity and strength. And now I feel them surging up.
AD: The older you get, the more you know yourself and what you’re capable of. You are more secure and can build on your talents. When you feel power or energy, you can also convey that to other people around you. When I hear a beautiful piece of music, there’s an energy transfer. When I read a book, there’s a kind of communication.
Ann Demuelemeester SS23 Collection. Images Courtesy of Vogue Runway.
S: My mirror is always my daughter. I confide in her, also because she says what she thinks so directly.
AD: I think children are so great. If you want an honest opinion, ask your child and you will get an answer that will really take you forward.
S: You just said that you are open to learning. For me, it’s a kind of magic formula.
AD: I just have to keep going. My inner voice becomes clearer as I get older. I’m just deciding to choose a different tool. First it was paper and pencils, then a sewing machine and fabric and now it’s porcelain, glass. Currently, I’m assembling together a furniture collection with my husband. It’s so exciting because I’m not expressing the same thing or illustrating an aesthetic evolution. I’m aware of the luxurious situation I’m in. What I need or what I dream of, I try to make, and then, one way or another, I meet the right people who can market my work. Finding a way to make something available to everyone is a big challenge. So far, it’s always worked out and I’ve met the right people who have really given me lots of freedom. I’ve been really lucky in what I’ve been given. I get messages from all over the world from people who are very excited because they bought one of my coffee cups. How nice that a young man from Japan can sit dreaming in his small room with a cup of mine on his table. That’s exactly what really moves my soul every time.
S: That’s really wonderful…
AD: There are only two things that really matter to me – love and beauty. Both inspire me and humble me. When a beautiful tree in my garden suddenly dies and I’m sad about it, I see all the trees thriving around it. Everything is in balance and life always goes on. I’ve learned so much from nature.
S: So no black and white?
AD: [laughs] Well, I can photograph everything in black and white. There’s always a lot between the two. I have huge trees in my garden, like monuments. They are the ultimate luxury. And then there is so much that’s delicate and small, and there’s also water. There’s a wild area, another area with my rose garden and a vegetable garden. I grow the best tomatoes in my greenhouse. My garden is a place that is very sheltered and where I really am alone in the world.
Image Courtesy of Ann Demeulemeester.
S: Can you hear the silence there?
AD: Yes, it’s like a moment of peace and totally exciting because it feels so intense. When you’ve heard the silence, you’re ready to make some noise again.
S: You just enjoyed a special event when a retrospective of your work was shown at Pitti Uomo in Milan. How did that feel?
AD: I decided to make this exhibition my own because I thought I would show my work as I really made it. I didn’t want to think too much about what is important and what isn’t. I just selected what I like. Together with my husband, I developed a wonderful presentation in the form of a long line of mannequins that seem to float. My husband is a very discerning person who is always striving for something even better and more beautiful. The fact that he himself was really moved is the most important compliment for me. When the doors opened and all the people came in, there was a kind of magic in the air. People also came who didn’t know my work at all and were asking if it was a new collection. That kind of comment is proof that my work is still relevant. Forty years and it seems like one single collection. I couldn’t have possibly imagined that it would be like this because it’s so inexpressibly beautiful.
S: And all for just one day…
AD: Yes, you had to see it or it was already gone. I liked that.
S: Very symbolic. And what comes next?
AD: It’s always a challenge to bring ideas to fruition but if you can bring them into the world, they are a gift for other people. I believe that good and beautiful things enrich life. The gift of staying relevant as a creative person keeps me going. So I don’t know what I’m going to do next, but something is sure to come up [a rumoured perfume launch remains unmentioned – and then she laughs].
As featured in SLEEK 74 – IDENTITY. Available in print and digital here.
Ann Demeulemeester launched her eponymous label in 1987, together with her husband and creative partner Patrick Robyn. For a long time, the designer was known for her simple designs, which nevertheless appeared multi-layered through sophistication and details. In 2013, Demeulemeester left her label to try new creative formats. Now, she designs very successful porcelain, tableware and furniture at Serax.