Ann Demeulemeester Revenue Jumps 55% Under Claudio Antonioli

Ann Demeulemeester is enjoying a remarkable revival, posting revenues of €20 million at year-end 2026, a 55% rise on the previous year. The company projects about €27 million in 2027, according to CEO and owner Claudio Antonioli, who spoke to Vogue Business ahead of the brand’s first Paris flagship opening.

A Community-Led Comeback

Founded in Antwerp in 1985 by Ann Demeulemeester, one of the Antwerp Six, the label built a cult following around romantic aesthetics and deconstructivist tailoring. Antonioli took over in 2020, roughly eight years after the founder stopped designing for it. He says his aim was to recover the brand’s identity rather than copy its past.

His key decision was appointing Stefano Gallici as creative director in 2023, when Gallici was just 27. Antonioli credits him with building a young community while keeping the original followers. Last season’s Paris show reflected this, drawing about 500 young fans in head-to-toe Demeulemeester, alongside guests such as Jimmy Page and Billy Idol.

Democratic Pricing and Global Expansion

Pricing is central to the strategy. Napoleon jackets cost between $1,750 and $2,480, while the Vive 5-Pocket jeans sit at $930. Antonioli says the brand deliberately prices below other luxury houses, and that celebrity fans, including Charli XCX, Dua Lipa and Kylie Jenner, wear it organically without payment.

Attention now turns to retail. After stores in Antwerp (2021) and Milan earlier this year, the brand opens its 150-square-metre Paris flagship at Jardin du Palais Royal, with London planned for early 2027. The company is prioritising Europe, Japan, China and the United States.

Antonioli, who previously co-founded New Guards Group and sold it to Farfetch for $675 million in 2019, insists growth must not dilute identity. “If we only follow the money, then we lose it all,” he says.