Farewell to a Legend: Dries Van Noten’s Final Show

In March 2024, the fashion industry received a shocking announcement: Dries Van Noten, the esteemed creative director of his eponymous brand, would be retiring after an incredible 38-year career. The designer expressed his desire to step down to pursue "all the things I never had time for before."

"I have been preparing for this moment for some time and feel it is the right time to make way for a new generation of talent to bring their vision to this brand," Van Noten explained.

Recently, Van Noten unveiled his final men's collection for the Spring-Summer 2025 season in Paris, marking a poignant end to his storied career. The event drew hundreds of fashion and cultural luminaries who gathered to pay tribute to Van Noten’s remarkable legacy and to celebrate this significant milestone with him. Among the notable guests were fellow designers Pierpaolo Piccioli, Thom Browne, and other members of the iconic Antwerp Six, including Ann Demeulemeester and Walter Van Beirendonck.

The show began with a nostalgic nod to Van Noten’s early days, as Alain Goossens, a model from his first show in 1991, opened the runway. Goossens donned a minimalist ensemble featuring a double-breasted long coat, khaki trousers, and sandals. The collection then showcased an array of meticulously crafted pieces, including pinstripe blazers, classic suits with sheer elements, and dazzling outerwear. Van Noten also infused Japanese influences into the collection, with several garments featuring floral prints created using the ancient Suminagashi technique. The entire collection was a testament to Van Noten’s signature style, which he had honed and perfected over decades. He described this collection as "a reflection on modern elegance, thinking beyond what has been before."

"This is my 129th show: like all the previous ones, it looks ahead. I think about how Marcello Mastroianni once spoke of the paradoxical 'Nostalgia for the Future' beyond the lost paradises imagined by Proust, and how we continue to chase our dreams, knowing that one day we will look back on them with love," Van Noten wrote on Instagram.