By Abraham de Amézaga
La Courneuve, France, June 22 (EFE).– Iconic designer Dries Van Noten bid farewell to the runway staging his final show at Paris Fashion Week on Saturday.
Set on thousands of ultra-thin aluminum sheets that formed the runway, coats with perfect cuts, sheer fabrics, and prints—three of Van Noten’s signatures—stood out in this men’s spring-summer 2025 collection.
The final work of the Belgian showcased his distinctive style and technical prowess.
In a large industrial warehouse in La Courneuve, about 15 kilometers from Paris, the show concluded the day’s events with a grand celebration.
Van Noten’s brand, founded in 1985 and set to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2025, is now majority-owned by the Spanish group Puig, with Van Noten retaining a minority stake.
The opening and closing coat highlighted the designer’s attachment to this garment and his interest in technical fabrics.
Layering, another key feature of his fashion, was present alongside floral prints. Known as a pioneer in mixing materials and motifs, Van Noten also emphasized transparency in this final show. His eclectic style and mastery of garment construction have earned him the title the “Flemish master of fashion”.”
Navy blue, browns, greens, metallics, and timeless black were prominent in this farewell show of one of the ‘Antwerp Six,’ a group of influential designers from the 1980s that included Walter Van Beirendonck, Marina Yee, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene, and Ann Demeulemeester. These creators, alongside Japanese designers, brought a fresh perspective to European fashion.
Saturday night’s show featured men and women of various ages, with a pink transparent trench coat as a standout piece. Van Noten, who began his career with men’s fashion and added women’s fashion two years later, has seamlessly blended both throughout his nearly four-decade career.
Unlike a retrospective show, Van Noten’s presentation was a new collection. Colleagues such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Harry Reed from Nina Ricci, Véronique Nichanian from Hermès’ men’s line, Ann Demeulemeester, and Walter Van Beirendonck attended. Van Noten received a special ovation, with the audience standing and some even crying as he greeted them after the show.
A grand party followed the show, marking an event that will undoubtedly be remembered in recent fashion history. EFE
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