Dries Van Noten’s SS24 delivery centers around the concept of the “familiar unfamiliar…. things that you really know but are done in a complete upside-down, inside-out, special, strange way.” The storied Belgian designer muses on the idea as he presents a tangible challenge to the sedate notions of contemporary style and merges competing ideals: extravagant and subdued, whimsy and utility, spontaneity and precision.
Dries Van Noten’s concepts are presented in a myriad of ways: classical shirting sewn from workwear denim, gauzy silk chiffon chainstiched with tonal embroidery, a floaty bolero studded with shimmering beads, formal overcoats quilted with hidden florals and velvet-esque chevrons…
Now that the full collection has arrived, we are able to consider Dries Van Noten’s vision in its entirety. Through angular cuts, fluttering sleeves and precise tailoring, Dries Van Noten puzzles together a Rubik’s cube of masculine and feminine details that read as simultaneously both and neither.
Complemented by a selection of funky statement jewelry pieces, cheeky evening bags and butter-soft suede totes, Dries Van Noten flexes his wide-ranging prowess as only he can. The offering begs to be explored and played with – a realm of possibility hiding within each piece.
In a way, Dries Van Noten has always excelled at the pursuit of subversion. His bold experimentations with shape, texture and pattern have been the bread and butter of his career – of which this collection marks the penultimate delivery designed by Dries Van Noten himself.
However, there is a particular delight present within this Dries Van Noten Collection unlike those preceding. Unbridled passion emanates from the forms and textures in a tangible challenge to the sedate notions of contemporary style. The determination and courage present within his designs resonates on a primal level… If one can live and create so fearlessly, nirvana may be found in following his lead.
