Stefano Gallici often begins the process of developing a new collection with a trip. For his previous season, he returned to his hometown of Teor, Italy, to reconnect with his early years. This time, he travelled alone to Los Angeles, renting a cabin in the desert. The experience inspired Lonesome Heaven, a collection steeped in Americana, historical references, and cultural influences, while retaining Ann Demeulemeester’s characteristic dark romanticism and deconstructed aesthetic.

For Spring 2027, Gallici narrowed the palette to black, white, and blue denim, placing greater emphasis on texture and layering. The collection opened with a series of white, cream, and ecru looks. A white lace vest and cream cotton trousers were layered with a distressed tutu and armbands, combining shaggy wool tulle with silk crepon to create volume. Another look featured a sleeveless white Napoleon waistcoat over an asymmetrical ecru ruffled skirt and sheer organza maxi skirt. A men’s ensemble paired cream cargo trousers with a Victorian blouse and cropped sleeveless tuxedo. Similar silhouettes returned later in the show, reworked in black. Gallici explained before the presentation that the desert had inspired the monochromatic palette: being surrounded by vast emptiness, he said, made life feel reduced to its simplest elements.

The Los Angeles inspiration was an unusual departure for the Belgian label, but Gallici was drawn to the city’s more unsettling character. During his visit, he watched Billy Wilder’s 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, which encouraged him to view the city through a darker perspective. He described Los Angeles as the ghost of a once-flourishing place, a city that had seemingly worn itself out. That idea emerged in silk suits, waistcoats, and cummerbunds featuring exposed sections of white cotton lining, creating the impression of garments that had gradually deteriorated. Achieving the effect required careful technical work to fuse the fabrics, the designer noted.

Another significant destination was the historic hangar in Playa Vista once associated with aviation entrepreneur Howard Hughes. The visit informed a series of aviation-inspired jackets and aged leather pieces, layered over formal waistcoats and tailored trousers. Gallici also incorporated Edwardian necklines and elaborate jabots reminiscent of the 17th century, emerging from fitted, cropped black Napoleon jackets and tuxedos. These formal pieces were contrasted with cascading ruffle skirts, floor-skimming fringed jersey, lightweight denim shirts, and double-denim tops.

Gallici described his creative process as building a world of references that may contradict one another but ultimately come together in a contemporary interpretation of a wardrobe. The styling reflected that deliberately spontaneous approach, although some combinations felt overly elaborate. Fringed T-shirts tied around the waist and transformed into skirts, for instance, were secured with delicate grosgrain ribbons that could have made a stronger statement on their own.

The collection’s Ann Demeulemeester identity appeared through its familiar design codes, including relaxed fringed jersey separates, flowing dresses, low-crotch trousers, and the label’s signature combat boots. Black and petrol-coloured feathers, used as skirt trims and dramatic epaulettes, offered another connection to the house’s visual language, though they occasionally felt disconnected from the lighter, more relaxed layers.

The brand’s combat boots have recently attracted renewed attention from celebrities and a growing younger audience. For this collection, Gallici introduced a tougher biker-inspired version, complete with multiple buckles and zips. Most of the looks, however, were styled with gladiator sandals featuring substantial buckles, some finished with wedge heels.

A number of garments appeared intentionally aged and worn. A cream tiered gown, loose cropped cream trousers marked with brown stains, and dirty-looking white ballet flats conveyed the feeling of pieces that had lived through years of use. Gallici said he had been studying older garments from his personal archive and wanted to recreate their distinctive sense of wear.

American musician Ethel Cain brought the show to a close in an Edwardian-inspired dress with a defined waist, echoing the shape of the men’s tailoring while translating it into intricate black Chantilly lace. Cain collaborated with Gallici on the design over Zoom during the spring, as well as on one of the men’s outfits: a silk shirt and trousers accompanied by a cummerbund with a fringed T-shirt tucked into one side. Josh Homme, frontman of Queens of the Stone Age, also appeared in a pinstripe suit worn with a lightweight denim shirt. The soundtrack featured folk musician Chelsea Wolfe, whose music Gallici had been listening to throughout his travels in Los Angeles.

Now four seasons into his tenure at Ann Demeulemeester, Gallici appears increasingly comfortable exploring the boundaries of the house’s identity. He emphasised that he approaches the brand with reverence and respect, while also wanting to avoid an overly traditional interpretation. As he continues to build a younger, fresher community around the label, he hopes to give himself more room to experiment with each successive collection.