Dries Van Noten Is Stepping Away From His Label

After 38 years, Dries Van Noten is stepping away from his namesake label.

The Belgian designer announced his departure in a letter, revealing that his final collection — Spring 2025 menswear — will debut in June 2024. A studio team will handle Spring 2025 womenswear, which is usually revealed at Paris Fashion Week, and a successor will be named "in due time." Van Noten noted that he'll still be involved with the brand.

"In the early '80s, as a young guy from Antwerp, my dream was to have a voice in fashion," he wrote. "Through a journey that brought me to London, Paris and beyond, and with the help of countless supportive people, that dream came true. Now, I want to shift my focus to all the things I never had the time for."

Van Noten — a graduate of Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts and member of the Antwerp Six — expressed twin feelings of sadness and happiness at his departure, but hinted he has "been preparing for this moment for a while." In a recent Highsnobiety interview, he reflected on age, especially as it relates to newness.

"Youth is not only about age but mentality. Newness is something you haven’t seen before; it has nothing to do with age," he told Jake Silbert. "I want to see, I want to learn, and I want to understand what young people are doing. Parents learn as much from their children as the children learn from their parents, right? It’s the same with my creative team."

Since debuting his first collection in 1986, Van Noten has received global acclaim for his tailoring, avant-garde florals and elevated fabrics. He's won a CFDA Award, been inducted to the 'Galerie des Eminents' by the Flemish Chamber of Commerce, received 'the gold medal' from the Flemish Royal Academy of Belgium, been honored with the title of Officier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France, among other accolades. In 2018, he sold a majority stake in his business to Puig.

"Since Puig became part of our business, we could continue to grow the way we wanted to," he wrote in his letter. "We have added beauty and perfume lines, extended the accessories, added e-commerce and opened exciting and innovative stores. The brand is now blooming. Like in a garden, you decide what to plant; and at some point, it continues to flourish."

Van Noten also thanked his partner Patrick Vangheluwe and his supporters. "My heartfelt appreciation to everybody who loves what we do," he said. "Seeing our clothes out in the world, knowing they have a place in your life, has fulfilled me beyond words. I am sure of this: the DVN future remains bright."

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