Dries Van Noten prefers a personal, passionate touch in his fashion shows

Fashion shows these days have evolved from exclusive, intimate affairs to full-scale PR events complete with celebrities and plenty of paparazzi. Among the few exceptions are the Dries Van Noten shows. Held twice a year in Paris they are hot-ticket events: the Belgian designer has even brought editors to tears with his extremely personal presentations.

In the past he has had models walk down a chandelier-lit dinner table seating 500 guests or lounge across a glossy carpet of moss-like wood nymphs, reminiscent of a scene from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. (The 48-metre-long carpet, custom made by Argentinian designer Alexandra Kehayoglou, will go on display at PMQ this week).

For his autumn-winter 2015/16 show, they glided down the catwalk to a soundtrack of popular songs by female vocal artists sung a cappella.

"It's the only moment when I have 10 minutes to show the world what I want to express through my collections and what my feelings are," Van Noten says. "That's why after each show I go through some sort of postnatal depression.

"I am not afraid of emotion; for me fashion and emotion are kind of linked. There are a lot of designers who try to banish everything which is emotion from their clothes and shows. At the same time, I don't make pieces to put in a museum. I want to see men and women wear my clothes."

It's this mantra that has made Van Noten a favourite with not only editors, but also regular women around the world. Since launching his label in 1986, he has received many accolades, such as the Council of Fashion Designers of America International Award, and has cultivated an empire of men's, women's and accessories collections that sell worldwide.