Initial reaction:

White on black on bone. Ann Demeulemeester’s creative director Sebastien Meunier brought a rare touch of Zen to Paris' Couvent des Cordeliers, raising romantic layers to new heights like a second and third skin – shirts under jackets, jackets under jackets.

New blood:

After Demeulemeester herself left last year, Meunier’s menswear debut for the Belgium house – just like his under-the-radar inauguration for the brand’s AW14 womenswear collection – felt like a stripping back to the Demeulemeester purist codes, where signature bare whites and bottomless blacks brought home a sense of romanticism.

Purist codes:

A simple palette opened up a wealth of intricate detailing; tiny cotton baubles lined shirt collars, a linen jacket covered in a web of bone coloured floral embroidery. Shoes were worn with ease as their backs were folded-down to the heel – like mules – and straw coloured pin-stripes were patched and panelled onto jackets in semi-sheer organza, evoking a weightlessness. However, it was in subtle sport elements that came through via coats with hoods where Meunier’s presence was most felt – is this the house’s new direction under its new blood? A futuristic utopian state of old versus new.

The soundtrack to Ann Demeulemeester SS15:

For Meunier’s AW14 womenswear debut, the designer stripped back in what felt like a cleansing ritual for the brand. See it below: