Dries Van Noten Is Stepping Down From His Label After 38 Years
Dries Van Noten will no longer be helmed by its eponymous founder.
Van Noten, who started his brand in 1986 with the launch of menswear, is stepping down from the label that shares his name, Women’s Wear Daily reported on Tuesday. His last collection will be for the men’s spring 2025 season, and his successor is to be named shortly.
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“As a young guy from Antwerp, my dream was to have a voice in fashion. Through a journey that brought me to London, Paris, and beyond, and with the help of countless supportive people, that dream came true,” Van Noten told WWD. “Now I want to shift my focus to all the things I never had the time for. I’m sad, but at the same time happy.”
Van Noten was one of the original members of the Antwerp Six, a group of designers who came out of the Belgian city’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the ’80s. After beginning in the world of menswear, he expanded to women’s wear, becoming known for his use of bright colors and his emphasis on prints. In the 38 years that he designed at his namesake label, he has been honored with awards from the CFDA and in museum exhibitions around the globe.
Back in 2018, Van Noten sold a majority stake in his brand to the fashion company Puig, which also oversees labels such as Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, and Jean Paul Gaultier. The move suggested that Van Noten was thinking about the future of his company, although sources told Women’s Wear Daily that the designer had committed to staying on for at least five more years. Van Noten said he would continue to remain involved in the house, and a search for his successor began in recent months.
“We respect Dries’ wish to step aside, after an exceptional 38-year career in fashion,” Marc Puig, the chairman and CEO of Puig, told WWD. “It is a distinct honor for Puig to now be entrusted with carrying his legacy into the future, and a unique responsibility we will treasure as a new and exciting chapter opens for both Dries and the brand.”
As for what Van Noten will do next, one of his passions includes gardening. The designer even referenced that hobby in speaking about the legacy of DVN.
“The brand is now blooming. Like in a garden, you decide what to plant, and at some point, it continues to flourish,” he said. “Seeing our clothes out in the world, knowing they have a place in your life, has fulfilled me beyond words.”
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