We all know Ann Demuelemeester doesn't need to make seasonal statements because she already has a good chunk of people who are so engrossed in her world and her aesthetic that any little shift she makes each season is met with appreciation and understanding. One can always expect darkness and romance swirling in a Demuelmeester collection but where she chooses to go can often take you by surprise. This time round for S/S12, she heads to North Africa by way of the American desolate expanses of desert.  The wide-brimmed hats in a crumpled leather sets the Western tone but not in a way that is trite when paired with sheer silk chiffon trousers and tailoring that comes with gentle swishes of tassels. These soft layers build up in fringing and stick to between white, black and a sand blasted beige, dragging the floor in an utterly seductive way.  The simplicity of a gradiated chiffon dress draped in such a way as though the sand had decided to wrap its way around the body is all the more arresting. Demuelemeester die-hards won't be short of the staple black jacket as they come swathed in silk chiffon with sheer sleeves and with fringing that never feels superfluous. That's the trick with Demeulemeester though - knowing when to say stop and when to just let loose - a feat she time and time again achieves.