Forgetting the downer soundtrack and the mostly black palette, this was a sultry collection from Sébastien Meunier, Mirjam van den Akker and Patrick van Ommeslaeghe, the design trio that succeeded Ann Demeulemeester, with Meunier also acting as the company’s art director.
Belts were key: slim ones cinching robelike jackets, blousons and scarflike tops just under the rib cage; and wide, multizip ones uncoiling over jersey gowns or padded bed jackets paired with lapping, full-legged pants. Plunging necklines or backs exposed slivers of flesh; chiffon blouses that whorled over bare torsos veiled it. Variegated pinstripes and a flash of red silk seemed like afterthoughts in a collection that handily moved the house heritage beyond its usual dandy allure.