Spring 2004 — Dark Romanticism

Why it matters

This collection exemplifies Demeulemeester's dark romanticism at its most evolved: androgynous layering in black and white, lived-in leather with concertina cuts, puffy cargo pockets on hip wraps and coats, and an enlarged black-and-white rose print that became one of her most recognisable motifs. The 'Til Roses' graffiti T-shirts demonstrate her ability to integrate poetic language into garments without sentimentality. Vogue Runway documents the full collection.

The rupture

Shown October 2003, this is the season Demeulemeester admitted white into her signature black-and-dark spectrum — a real shift. She slashed her signature leathers with concertina cuts 'as fine as paper mesh,' layered them among washed satins and chiffons, and trailed cargo pockets below the hemlines: the most structurally experimental leather treatment of that period of her work.

Defining looks

• 01Androgynous layering in black and white
• 02Lived-in leather with concertina cuts
• 03Puffy cargo pockets on hip wraps and coats
• 04Enlarged black and white rose print
• 05T-shirts with 'Til Roses' graffiti

What collectors know

Demeulemeester graduated the Antwerp Academy in 1981 and founded the label with Patrick Robyn in 1985; the collector identifier is her dark vocabulary — military lines, slouchy silhouettes, tough leathers, buckled straps — with SS2004's washed satins as the lighter contrast. After she left in 2013, Sébastien Meunier continued the signature; Claudio Antonioli acquired the house in 2020.

Provenance & holdings

MoMu (Fashion Museum Antwerp) holds Demeulemeester across her career, including her first SS1992 show; she is part of MoMu's authorized 'Antwerp Six' exhibition (2026–27). Specific SS2004 pieces in public collections: unverified.

Sources

• vogue.com