Dries Van Noten Says Goodbye to Florals and Fashion World

Fashion legend Dries Van Noten is set to unveil his final show in Paris on Saturday, marking the end of an illustrious 40-year career.

The highly-regarded Belgian designer, known as the “Flemish master of fashion,” surprised many when he announced his retirement this year.

Retiring at the age of 66 with a successful business and in good health is rare in the fashion industry, as he recently shared with the New York Times.

“I feel it’s time to make space for a new generation of talents to bring their vision to the brand,” he wrote in an open letter on Instagram.

He expressed his desire to enjoy the things he never had time for before.

Along with his fashion business, Van Noten will also be stepping away from the beauty and perfume lines he had established.

“After the men’s show, I will be changing my email address,” he informed the New York Times.

“I won’t be @driesvannoten anymore. I need to find a new Instagram name because my current one is Dries Van Noten, and that represents the brand. It’s unexpected. I didn’t see this coming.”

– ‘Flowers come up everywhere’ –

Details about the spring-summer 2025 show, set to take place in La Courneuve, north of Paris, have not been disclosed.

The show is expected to embody the signature Dries Van Noten style: perfectly tailored garments, bold color combinations, and striking fabric and prints.

“I have a passion for gardening, so flowers naturally appear everywhere: be it symbolic flowers, their colors, or actual flowers,” he explained to AFP in 2014.

He finds inspiration from his travels, particularly to India, and from art.

“The inspiration for a collection can stem from something very literal or abstract: a painting, a color, someone’s thoughts, anything at all,” he shared with AFP.

In late February, Van Noten presented a women’s collection characterized by a dreamy touch, pastel hues, and relaxed silhouettes resembling sleepwear.

The collection also featured soft bags reminiscent of plush toys, presented in a construction site in Paris, where he has been showcasing his collections since 1993.

Future collections, including a women’s line scheduled for September, will be developed by his longstanding studio team.

– Antwerp Six –

Before his departure, Van Noten stipulated that the brand’s headquarters remain in Antwerp, away from the glamour of Parisian fashion.

The Puig Group, which acquired a majority share in the label in 2018, honored Van Noten’s request.

In the 1980s, Van Noten emerged alongside the “Antwerp Six,” a group of Belgian designers, presenting his debut collection in London in 1986, making waves in the fashion world with their avant-garde designs.

The group, comprising Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Walter Van Beirendonck, and Marina Yee, continues to be synonymous with innovation today.

Hailing from a lineage of tailors, Van Noten opened his first boutique in 1989 in the diamond capital of the world.

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