With his days-old announcement that he’ll be retiring after the next Men’s collection, the fashion designer brings to an end the era of Dries’ Belgian coolness.
It’s not often that a retirement announcement hits so close to home. But with Dries Van Noten announcing he’s leaving the maison bearing his name, effective immediately for the Women’s line and as of the next collection for the Men’s, the Belgian designer has made me realize how important his vision has been in my own life.
“Dear Friends,” the designer wrote on Instagram, “In the early '80s, as a young guy from Antwerp, my dream was to have a voice in fashion. Through a journey that brought me to London, Paris and beyond, and with the help of countless supportive people, that dream came true. Now, I want to shift my focus to all the things I never had the time for. I'm sad, but at the same time happy, to let you know that I will step down at the end of June. I have been preparing for this moment for a while, and I feel it's time to leave room for a new generation of talents to bring their vision to the brand.”
My own persona encounter with Dries’ iconic fashions came when I was a young woman in Florence, on my first professional venture. I wanted desperately to spend some of the money I earned as a shoe fit model and Luisa Via Roma, the stylish store in the center of my hometown, offered the wares. A white embroidered short cotton jacket with matching white linen trousers, a longer in the back knit white t-shirt and white with green border shawl were my choice. All Dries Van Noten, all fabulously ethnic and hip. I felt like a million dollars in my first designer outfit. And even though this was 1998, I used that jacket (in the photo below) and the separates all through the Naughts, and the 2010’s. In fact, it only just recently didn’t survive my latest move or it would still be in my closet.
Dries Van Noten always represented something special to me — and his countless other customers. Part exotic, part couture at a decent price, and wholly extraordinarily made, his clothing lines felt easy. They also lasted a long time and could be accessorized in different ways, according to one’s mood.
Speaking of accessories, I often kick myself that I didn’t purchase a beautiful turquoise blue beaded necklace (see above) a few years ago, inside NYC’s Bergdorf Goodman. It looked phenomenal on me, and would have made any outfit look like a Dries outfit. But alas, that will be one I left behind.
For those who wish to know more about the man behind the label, Reiner Holzemer, the great German filmmaker whose other works include a film on Martin Margiela and one on actor Lars Eidinger, made a doc on Dries, titled well, you guessed it, Dries, in 2017. It’s a must watch.
Dries, you will be missed. Fashion will never be the same again. But whatever you do, you’ll have a fan in me. Movies, writing, art — Dries already runs an art gallery in his Los Angeles store — he’ll shine.