Belgian designer Dries Van Noten is stepping down from the position of creative director at his namesake brand. The 65-year-old fashion icon will retire in June after the upcoming Paris Fashion Week menswear show. Meanwhile, the forthcoming menswear spring/summer 2025 collection will be Noten’s last official collection.
Over the last 38 years, the designer has led the luxury label, famous for its dazzling color combinations and flawless tailoring.
After graduating from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts with a fashion design degree in 1981, Noten started his brand five years later. He became a member of ‘The Antwerp Six,’ which was a group of six fashion designers aiming to change the landscape of the industry. Alongside Van Noten, it included Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs, and Marina Yee.
Meanwhile, Noten made his Paris Fashion Week debut in the year 1991 with a collection of menswear. Two years later, he also introduced womenswear and attained a position as the centerpiece of the whole event.
Throughout his career, Van Noten has made his company a luxury brand for many individuals. Notably, he brings back an old touch in his latest designs while experimenting with the silhouette of the dresses. These specializations are often seen in balloon-like dresses and oversized coats. Moreover, the designer loved to add a flower-like theme to his clothes, saying his home’s garden inspired it.
He shared this news on Instagram with fans and industry insiders. He started the note with “Dear friends.”
Van Noten wrote,
In the early 80’s, as a young guy in Antwerp, my dream was to have a voice in fashion.
Through a journey that brought me to London, Paris … that dream has come true. Now I want to shift my focus to all the things I never had time for.
