Ann Demeulemeester
In 1985, Verhelst finally launched her own brand, Ann Demeulemeester-Verhelst, in collaboration with her husband, Patrick Robyn, who put an end to a burgeoning career as a photographer to devote himself to his wife's fashion label, assuming the role of a shadow creative director for the brand, an unofficial position that he still occupies to this day.[2][9] She produced her first collection for the fall 1987 season, adding shoes and accessories the following year.[10]
In 1992, Dirk Van Saene self-published Dirk Van Saene's Bambi, a photo-collaged comic that lampooned his fellow Antwerp designers with a special focus on Ann Verhelst, highlighting the tensions between Demeulemeester and the other designers in the Antwerp Six.[11]
In 1994, Ann Verhelst approached Belgian entrepreneur Anne Chapelle for help in building her brand, which, under her tenure, turned into a substantial global business,[12] debuting a menswear line in 1996 and opening the brand's flagship store in Antwerp in 1999.[2] Finally, in 2005, Anne Chapelle acquired the company's majority stake from Ann Verhelst.[13]
Verhelst worked with the artist Jim Dine, and draws inspiration from singer Patti Smith.[14] She worked on a clothing line inspired by Jackson Pollock.[2]
In November 2013, Verhelst announced she was leaving the fashion house with a handwritten exit letter.[2][15] Prior to her departure, Ann Verhelst personally chose the French designer Sébastien Meunier as her successor as artistic director of the brand. Sébastien Meunier had previously worked for 10 years with the Belgian fashion genius Martin Margiela before joining Ann Demeulemeester in 2010, officially designing the house's men's collections, while in reality being trained by Ann Verhelst and Patrick Robyn themselves to his future position of artistic director. Sébastien Meunier left the label in July 2020.[16]
Ann Demeulemeester by Serax
After leaving fashion, Verhelst attended porcelain master classes in England and France. In 2019, she launched Ann Demeulemeester Serax in collaboration with Belgian diffusion label Serax, a collection of affordable porcelain dinner services made in China, but also silverware, glasses and larger houseware, following the path of other famous fashion designers of the like of Inès de la Fressange, José Levy or Christian Lacroix.[17]
Ann Demeulemeester by Antonioli
After the Italian retailer Claudio Antonioli bought the company in 2020 [18] and after the resignation of Sébastien Meunier,[19] Ann Verhelst announced, in September 2021, her return to the Ann Demeulemeester label,
