MILAN — Ann Demeulemeester has opened a store in Milan, the first outside the brand’s historic flagship in Antwerp.
Celebrated with an event during fashion week here on Thursday, the opening marks not only an expansion but also another big moment of visibility for the brand, following the release of its first campaign under creative director Stefano Gallici last week.
Located in Milan’s Golden Triangle, the store is hidden in plain sight in Via Montenapoleone, as it’s housed inside a former refectory and doesn’t come with flashy banners. The space intends to evoke the intimate and contemplative approach that has always defined the Ann Demeulemeester universe, now filtered through Gallici’s vision.
Ann Demeulemeester store in Milan.
Courtesy of Ann Demeulemeester
Spanning two levels, the 2,303-square-foot space was designed by Storagemilano, which looked to maintain some of the former elements of the location. For one, the walls have been restored to their original state and left bare to enhance their materiality and natural tones, while a black Italian herringbone wood floor was laid to reprise the dark ethos of the brand. The floor’s geometry is mirrored in the ceilings of the two large rooms that are connected by a staircase leading on the upper floor, where a VIP room is located.
Overall, the space is dominated by tones of black and white with delicate shades of gray, while materials such as oak, oxidized zinc and raw plaster are alternated with large white canvases acting as a backdrop for the collections.
Draped black linen curtains and sofas with corded fringes add to custom-designed furnishings punctuating the venue, whose key elements include four metal skylights through which natural light can filter and offering guests views of the inner courtyard and facing building.
The store carries both the women’s and men’s lines in two dedicated areas, as well as the brand’s accessories. In particular, the opening coincided with an exclusive preview of the spring 2026 collection that Gallici paraded at Paris Fashion Week last September, as well as a showcase of special pieces. These include a limited-edition, black-on-black take on the Napoleon jacket Gallici included in the show. Designed exclusively for the Milan store, this iteration was crafted in black Japanese cotton twill, trimmed with black jacquard ribbons and shiny black piping and punctuated by silver buttons.
Ann Demeulemeester store in Milan.
Courtesy of Ann Demeulemeester
Born in 1996, Gallici began his career in Antwerp working as an assistant designer to Haider Ackermann, before moving on at the Antonioli Group in January 2019. He joined the Ann Demeulemeester fashion house in 2020, when the brand was acquired by the group established by Claudio Antonioli. Gallici was menswear designer at the brand when he was appointed creative director in 2023, succeeding the blink-of-an-eye stint of Ludovic de Saint Sernin.
His designs have been recently seen on celebrities both in sync with the brand’s ethos and more unexpected names. These ranged from Jamie Campbell Bower walking the Ann Demeulemeester spring 2026 show to the likes of Karol G, who most recently wore a white distressed dress from the brand for her appearance during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX Halftime show.