Dries Van Noten, the Belgian-born designer and co-founder of his namesake brand, is known for his use of colorful textiles and prints. Drawing inspiration from paintings, movies, and sculptures and including them in his fabric designs, he produced his final collection during 2024's Paris Fashion Week, featuring his Men's Spring/Summer 2025 collection.
Noten, born in May of 1958 in Antwerp, Belgium, comes from a family with roots in cutting and sewing. His father owned a menswear shop, dating back to his grandfather being a tailor and an art collector. Noten eventually studied fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp during the late 70s, a time when it was frowned upon for women to wear pieces showing their knees, a time when it was unexpected for a woman to wear their hair loosely, and when Jeans were considered poor people's clothes.
Post-grad, Noten began freelancing as a design consultant for Belgian manufacturer John-Paul Knott before launching his menswear collection in 1986 with co-founder and CEO Christine Mathys. Throughout his lifetime, he has drawn influences from the world around him, most notably from flowers and garden Esq themes, having stated in a New York Times interview in 2016, "The garden is my second profession. It's 22 hectares, which is a big garden. I need it, going from the flower garden, the shrubs and the trees, the vegetable garden, all these things." Thus tying with influences from Lucian Freud's Studio Wall to Francis Bacon's paintings with the British artist's colors and textiles correlating with Noten's work implementing "dead salmon" colors and textures into his designs.
In 1991, Dries Van Noten held his first-ever Paris runway show. This past June, he presented his last show as Van Noten, who is currently 66, is stepping down from the day-to-day creative direction of his namesake house. The show displayed a range of ages in models, having opened with Leon Dame, known for his strong presence on the runway, and closed out with Fernando Cabral, with appearances by Debra Shaw, a brand staple of the house, having walked during his Fall 2017's Ready-to-wear show and known for her androgynous and intriguing looks. Moreover, Noten's final show was a true testament to the community, with the attendance of designers such as Thom Browne, Glenn Martens, Alexandre Mattiussi, Filip Arickx, Maria Cornejo, and Haider Ackermann, to name a few.
One of the key takeaways was that this runway resembled a formal and celebratory show, with minimal floral accents and colorful patterns. Yet, it was also a blast from the past, in such a way that it featured a silver leaf runway, similar to his fall 2006 Ready-to-wear show, which had a gold leaf runway. Although minimal, Van Noten experimented with fabrics such as brushed wool fused to neoprene and suminagashi, a traditional Japanese marbling technique dating back 1,000 years involving depositing ink on water, which is then transferred and absorbed by the fabric. While almost expectantly using Silk Organza, one of his renowned reference pieces shown through his transparent tops and bottoms, thus representing his appreciation for nature and the visual arts.
Standout pieces included the opening look 1, an all-black loose-fitting, double-breasted suit in a soft, metallic fabric paired with wide-legged trousers, completed with a sheer organza undershirt, creating a relaxed yet sophisticated silhouette. Look 28, Noten showcased a tailored, single-breasted blazer paired with matching and slightly relaxed-fitting trousers, offering the duality of formal and casual wear. Look 63 is a high-shine, silver metallic blazer with bronze accents on the edge of the silhouette paired with bronze-colored shorts, ultimately incorporating a recurring theme of the collection: sheer layering. Lastly, it is essential to close Noten's final look, look 69, almost an entirely similar concept to Look 1, a possible notion as this show being a full circle moment for Noten's career; Paris being his first runway show, frequent use of his reference pieces, and brand staples walking in the show. The silhouette took on a formal theme of a metallic black double-breasted trench coat paired with gold loose-fitting pants, eluding the audience and viewer a sense of contentment for the work Noten has done for over 30 years.
With that being said, Dries Van Noten’s final show at the 2024 Paris Fashion Week for his Men's Spring/Summer 2025 collection was a poignant celebration of his illustrious career, blending past influences with contemporary flair. The collection paid homage to his signature style, featuring rich textures, vibrant textiles, and intricate prints inspired by art and nature. His departure marks the end of an era, yet the legacy of his innovative designs will continue to inspire. This concluding collection, with standout looks like the high-shine silver metallic pieces and sheer layers, encapsulates Van Noten’s unique ability to merge utility with ethereal elegance. As he steps back from the creative helm, the fashion world bids farewell to a visionary whose impact will resonate for generations.