Dries Van Noten Presents His Final Collection as Head Designer

Dries Van Noten, born in 1958 into a family of tailors in Antwerp stretching back three generations, has a traditionalist design background. He founded his namesake brand in 1986, coinciding with the Belgian government’s initiation of the Gouden Spoel (Golden Bobbin) Award. This award helped Van Noten and fellow graduates from the Royal Academy of Art build closer connections with manufacturers and producers in the beleaguered garment industry. Around this same period, an injection of 50 million euros was provided to mitigate the pressure of employee layoffs. This financial support contributed to the rise of the Antwerp Six, a group of designers including Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs, Marina Yee and Van Noten. Together, they were known for their disciplined approach to design, characterised by formalism, an integrity to material and quality, and deconstructionist techniques.
As a core member of the group, Van Noten adhered to the principle that clothing should prioritise comfort. Far from a mere gesture of modesty, his aim was to design suits for men who typically avoid suits and dresses for women who generally dislike wearing dresses.
On June 22, Van Noten presented his final collection as head designer, a comprehensive retrospective of his 38-year career. The show revisited highlights from his extensive archive, referencing 150 collections that encompass over 10,500 individual looks and an innumerable number of garments—Van Noten’s shows often totalled more than sixty individual looks. The presented looks were organised according to a systematic taxonomy of themes and categories, such as art, material, style, pattern, symbolism, and his signature use of floral motifs.
Alain Gossuin, who previously walked for Van Noten in the 1990s, modelled a black coat for the opening look, which fell under the category of style. The coat’s collar was upturned, and its dramatic tail created a sweeping effect along the silver-foiled catwalk. This look drew on the “parade of ‘peaceniks’” from Autumn/Winter 2016 and the aptly titled “Camouflage” collection of Spring/Summer 2013. The black coat led into a series of tailored, double-breasted pieces, including a coat in navy adorned with a chest strap and gold beaded embroidery on the shoulder—an effect akin to gilding or livery. Other, more casual pieces in the collection included balmaccan jackets, anoraks and M-65 field jackets created in an organza textile crafted from recycled polyester. Van Noten has previously compared his use of textiles to building layers of varnish.
Another look, featuring recycled polyster and modelled by Belgian Hanne Gaby Odile, consisted of a sports coat topped with an oversized filmy blouse, both in a shade of menthe. Aligned with the ‘art’ category, this transparent design directly references the work of Belgian visual artist Edith Dekyndt. Dekyndt is renowned for her exploration of everyday materials, objects and gestures in her art.
The contrast of layering non-complementary combinations proved to be the most zappy, highlighted by a mackintosh in blancmange styled over a pale azure tee and trousers in old rose. The effect, like that of bricolage, was enhanced by pairing an iridescent mandarin vareuse with a floral block print. Together, these elements exemplify one of the most recognisable aspects of Van Noten’s design vocabulary: the use of material and pattern.
Textiles with tropical blooms, such as Frangipani and hibiscus, recall the sticky, sultry climates of coastal countries and archipelagos. Enveloping shirts, trousers and shorts, the textiles created an effect reminiscent of a dizzying Garden of Eden. The floral prints were developed using a Japanese technique called suminagashi, which translates to “ink floating.” This method involves folding, stitching, or twisting white cloth before immersing it in dye.
The garments in this section were designed with a relaxed drape and were worn loosely, creating a harmonious balance between the unstructured and structured. This was achieved through the styling of wide full pants and Bermuda shorts paired with more tailored garments like trench coats, a long anorak, and a stark white hooded gilet puffer. Other looks included an adapted khameez with patch pockets at the hip, styled over matching black trousers.
Throughout the collection, models trailed hobo-style bags and sandals, both echoing the Dries Van Noten designs of the last two decades. These were particularly reminiscent of his Spring/Summer 1994 show, which took place at the Passage Brady Market in Paris, complete with food vendors and the usual bustle of street traffic. During this era, the DVN house was characterised as a continuous travelogue of inspiration, resembling a moving caravan and reflecting a postmodern, unbounded world. It was at this time when Van Noten shifted emphasis away from the pared-back minimalism predominated by the likes of Jil Sander and Helmut Lang, embracing a world of hybridity instead.
Before his final show, Van Noten clarified that he did not intend for a retrospective “best of” collection. Instead, he aimed to maintain the approach he had taken since launching his first tightly edited capsule collection in 1989, which included tailored blazers and shirts for retailers such as Whistles in London, Pauw in Amsterdam, and Barney’s in New York. His goal was to add to a collection of “other pieces”—specifically, designs that could be reinterpreted from one season to the next, thus continuing an ongoing dialogue in fashion design.
Van Noten has consistently detested fashion and its temporal nature. In 2017, he famously declared, “Fashion [is] over in six months,” expressing his disdain for the term. Despite this, his final collection showcased highly fashionable work. The pieces were distinguished for their ‘intimacy of detail’, celebrated for their certain trend and style and commended for their sensuality. It is this sense of fashion that has helped secure an enduring and significant legacy for Van Noten, who, at the age of 66, has recognised his personal limitations. He has spoken of having “more now to do things, which I was dreaming about for a long time.”
When Van Noten graduated from the Royal Academy in 1981, he entered a Central and Western Europe that was grappling with the aftermath of the second oil crisis and government policies focused on anti-inflation measures. In 2024, amid similar economic conditions, there is an opportunity for innovation and new ideas, which can help both emerging and established designers thrive. By stepping down as head designer, Van Noten enables as he has explained, “a new generation of talents (to) bring their vision to the brand.” A new perspective, a renewed creativity, a new life.
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