Dries Van Noten Is Stepping Down

Dries Van Noten is stepping down from his namesake label.

This morning, Van Noten released a letter addressed "Dear Friends" which outlined his plan to retire from the helm of the fashion house he founded 38 years ago, a label that has had an immense impact on the fashion industry and on the way women dress. The spring 2024 collection Van Noten showed just a few weeks ago in Paris was his last for the women's side of the business and in June, he'll stage his final show during Men's Spring 2024 Fashion Week. The women's spring 2025 collection will be designed by Van Noten's studio team.

In the letter, the Belgain-born Van Noten said, "Now, I want to shift all my focus to all the things I never had time for." He added, "I have been preparing for this moment for a while, and I feel it's time to leave room for a new generation of talents to bring their vision to the brand."

A successor will be announced "in due time," and it will be quite the challenge for someone to build upon Van Noten's legacy. He is a singular but quiet force in fashion, and a designer whose captivating and intellectual approach to prints, layering, and texture has been the foundation for so much of the "elevated everyday" fashion designers are referencing and rebuilding today. Fans of the designer are gutted by the news, but it's also important to note that in a fast-paced, often grueling business, there's so much to admire about a designer who, as a colleague said this morning, wants a life beyond his label.

He did say that he would still remain involved in the brand in some capacity, but it's unclear what that means right now. “Seeing our clothes out in the world, knowing they have a place in your life, has fulfilled me beyond words,” Van Noten wrote in a statement. “I am sure of this: the DVN future remains bright.”

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