Dries Van Noten (born 12 May 1958 in Antwerp), titled as Baron Van Noten since 2017, is a Belgian fashion designer and an eponymous fashion brand, which he co-founded with CEO and business partner Christine Mathys.[1]
Dries Van Noten | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms of Dries Van Noten | |
| Born | 12 May 1958 Antwerp, Belgium |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Education | Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp |
| Label | Dries Van Noten |
| Partner | Patrick Vangheluwe |
| Awards | 2008 International Designer of the Year Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America |
| Website | driesvannoten |
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Early life and education
editVan Noten was born into a family of garment makers and traders – his father owned a menswear shop, while his grandfather was a tailor. He graduated in 1980 from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.[2]
Career
editVan Noten freelanced for a variety of local designers before launching a menswear line in 1986.[3] That year, he presented his first menswear collection in London as part of The Antwerp Six collective. That led to a small order from Barneys New York.[4] The Louis Boston firm was one of the first U.S. retailers to bring his clothes to America, carrying his collection and selling it in Boston. He currently creates four collections a year (men's and women's, both for summer and winter).
In 2005, The New York Times described him as "one of fashion's most cerebral designers".[5] His style is said to be "eccentric", and fell out of favor during the long period of minimalistic fashion in the early 1990s, only to make a comeback towards the mid-2000s,[5][4] culminating with Van Noten's winning of the International Award of the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2008.
In 2008, Van Noten dressed actress Cate Blanchett for the Academy Awards, and he has continued to dress her for other red carpet events since then.[citation needed] Other notable customers include Queen Mathilde of Belgium,[citation needed] and actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.[6] In 2018, the third episode of television show Killing Eve notably featured one of his items, known eponymously as the Dries van Noten suit.
The brand does not offer haute couture; all of its designs are ready to wear and available at retail: "I'm a little naive but I don't like the idea of showing things that you don't sell in a store", said Van Noten in a 2005 interview.[5] His work is said to be characterized by use of prints, colors, original fabrics and layering. He does not advertise.[7]
Van Noten's brand has shops in multiple locations worldwide. The first, opening in Antwerp in 1989, was Het Modepaleis. Shop openings in Hong Kong and Tokyo followed. In early 2007, a shop was opened in Paris, decorated with antiques collected by Van Noten and his partner Patrick Vangheluwe,[8] followed ten months later by a shop in Singapore.[4] The brand is said to be carried in some 400 fashion shops around the world.
As the brand is a private company, not much is known about its financial affairs, although it claimed in 2007 to have annual sales of some 30 million euro.[4] In 2018, it was acquired by family-owned Spanish fragrance and fashion firm Puig; Van Noten himself remains a minority shareholder.[9][10]
In March 2024, Van Noten announced his retirement from his namesake label after working in fashion for 38 years.[11] His final collection will be Menswear Spring/Summer 2025.[12]
Legacy
editThe Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris mounted an exhibition in 2014 devoted to Van Noten's designs and their influences, which later traveled to Antwerp.[9] The show included 180 Van Noten pieces and 100 more paintings, garments and clips from outside collections.[3]
Honours
edit- 2008: International Designer of the Year Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
- 2014: Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of the French Republic.
- 2017: granted the Belgian noble title of baron by royal order of King Philippe of Belgium.[13]
Personal life
editVan Noten and his partner Patrick Vangheluwe work and live in Antwerp. The couple resides in a house situated on a nearly seven-acre plot of land outside of the city.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ *"Dries Van Noten". The New York Times. October 26, 2008.
- "Awards". Antwerp Fashion. 2006. Archived from the original on 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
- "De prijzen voor de Antwerpse modestudenten". Weekend Knack. 7 May 2012.
- ^ Donnell, Chloe Mac (2024-06-22). "Shimmering fabrics and a sparkling legacy: Dries van Noten bids farewell". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
- ^ a b Vanessa Friedman (February 21, 2014), Lunch with the FT: Dries Van Noten Financial Times.
- ^ a b c d "Making his own way in the fashion world". Asiaone.com. 10 November 2007. Archived from the original on 6 September 2009.
- ^ a b c d Colman, David (19 June 2005). "Just Step on the Gas and Say Om". The New York Times.
- ^ "Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries Van Noten". Tomandlorenzo.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ Givhan, Robin (7 October 2004). "Clothes Ready For Takeoff On the Paris Runways". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ Browne, Alix (1 April 2007). "Home Shopping". The New York Times. T Style Magazine.
- ^ a b Jennifer Weil (June 14, 2018), Dries Van Noten Acquired by Puig Women's Wear Daily.
- ^ Elizabeth Paton and Vanessa Friedman (June 14, 2018), Dries Van Noten Sells Majority Stake to Puig The New York Times.
- ^ "Designer Dries Van Noten announces his retirement". Rushh. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Socha, Miles (2024-03-19). "EXCLUSIVE: Dries Van Noten Is Stepping Down". WWD. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ "Modeontwerper Dries Van Noten wordt baron". De Morgen. 19 July 2017.
External links
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