Why Dries Van Noten's 100th show pays homage to iconic 90s models and celebrates bold prints
The reunion of models was not a nostalgic impulse, he explains
Dries Van Noten knows how to throw a party. The biggest models from the ’90s came out of retirement for the Belgian designer’s 100th show – think Kristina de Coninck, Amber Valletta and Liya Kebede. As they marched down the runway for the finale with a capella chanting of David Bowie’s Heroes in the background, glorious fashion moments flashed back before showgoers’ eyes.
“It was an emotional moment,” Van Noten says. “All those girls were so happy to be there – some of them were breastfeeding their babies backstage. It was so real because you know fashion can [have moments] like this.”
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Meeting in his studio in Paris’ Marais district, Van Noten looks poised after the ecstatic grand celebration. The soft-spoken designer stresses that the reunion wasn’t about nostalgic reminiscence.
“When we design we often [imagine] a perfect 16-year-old girl wearing the outfit but it’s not [realistic], it’s like dressing a doll,” he says. “I wanted to show how they wear clothes differently from the young generation.”
Women of all ages and sizes revere Van Noten’s creations because of his approach to fashion – simply put: he gets women. Not that he’s a particularly feminist designer, yet he shies away from typical tight, body-hugging silhouettes and brings elements of menswear-inspired apparel to women’s fashion.
Known for his passion for fabrics, Van Noten infuses in his designs kaleidoscopic prints, intricate embroideries – many created by Indian artisans he’s been collaborating with since the 1980s – and cultural references from fine arts to pop culture.