Van Noten said he’s got big plans afoot, but will in the first instance take a long holiday. He’s not a man who lives in a bubble of fashion mania (as so many designers do); he loves his garden, his homes in Belgium and on the Amalfi Coast, his dog. He loves cooking. He’s going to take time to appreciate those things, rather than living in a system that demands constant newness.
Alongside his unique aesthetic – there’s a particular tribe of acolytes, of which I happen to be one, who can spot his clothes at thirty paces – Van Noten is unusual in that his business remained entirely independent, until he sold a majority share to Spanish fragrance conglomerate Puig in 2018, presumably to shore up the company and plan his exit strategy.
In today’s fashion landscape, it’s rare to have the privilege of watching a designer, especially one who still helms his own house, bid adieu – so many working for big-name houses are unceremoniously fired or move houses in a never-ending game of musical chairs. Van Noten’s farewell was so wonderfully, evocatively ‘him’, down to the final outfit – a severe black coat paired with gauzy, iridescent trousers.
Dries Van Noten thanked the cheering crowds as he took his final bow, but the swell of gratitude very much went both ways.