One of the original Antwerp Six, Ann Demeulemeester was born in 1959 in Waregem, Belgium, and trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Launching her label in 1985 with partner Patrick Robyn, she became known for her gothic-romantic, poetic aesthetic, combining feminine and unisex silhouettes with modular, highly considered constructions.

Staunchly resisting commercial trends, Demeulemeester approached fashion architecturally and poetically, creating clothing that lives on the body while embodying freedom, emotion, and restraint. Her work has influenced a generation of designers, from Rick Owens to Gareth Pugh, and her nearly three-decade-long run remains a touchstone of Antwerp’s avant-garde legacy.