All photos by Sonnyphotos
Dear Shaded Viewers,
“This is my 129th show; like the previous ones, it looks ahead. Tonight is many things, but it is not a grand finale. I think about how Marcelo Mastroianni once spoke of a paradoxical “Nostalgia del futuro,” beyond the lost paradises imagined by Proust, and how we continue to pursue our dreams knowing that, at some point, we can look back on them with love. I love my job, I love doing fashion shows, and sharing fashion with people. Creating is about leaving something that lives on. My sense of this moment is how it is not only mine, but ours, always. ” Dries Van Noten.
What can you say about such a beautiful man? I’m happy for him but sad for my closet…and the fashion world in general. Last night, we celebrated the final collection by Dries Van Noten, and it is with mixed emotions that I write. Dries is the designer I’ve worn for the past 30+ years, and I might add, not so easy finding pieces in black, but I’ve cherished each and every one. The only color in my wardrobe is the deep burgundy velvet coat dress and the bottle green bomber jacket.
I love that he has always been true to himself, an independent spirit expressed in his decision to retire and enjoy the rest of his life with pursuits he had no time for. Of course, he will continue to create, whether in his garden or through many other projects, but he is leaving behind the hectic fashion life. From his first to his last collection, which, in both cases, happened to be menswear also worn by women, he always stayed true to his ideas.
My friend Philippe Pourhashemi expressed the spirit of Dries so well when he said, “I think I understand why Dries is leaving. Fashion has changed. It’s more about numbers and profit than emotions and singularity.” I like to be more optimistic, but fashion has changed as we now deal in billions instead of millions.
He will always be a poet, a purveyor of beauty, and a master of his craft. He has the ability to create pieces that instantly become your favorite items in your closet, timeless and without an expiration date. The invitation said LOVE, and that is what he has always delivered. And imagine, there was not a celebrity in site just industry professionals, when was the last time that you saw that?
Later,
Diane
P.S. The Press release:
THERE IS NO BEGINNING, NO END Before a piece of clothing is worn, it is encoded with stories. When design comes from a personal place, every detail and decision is meaningful. Materials are evidence of time and transmit emotion; how they are treated or transformed. Some, like the Japanese print technique of suminagashi, are visible, expressive, unique. Others exist in how they are perceived next to the body. This Dries Van Noten collection, the 150th over 38 years, offers a continuum of connection: encompassing ideas developed from classical to innovative; attesting to craft and colour; and ultimately, providing a relaxed yet elegant way of dressing. Clothes that move through life with us, carrying us forward.
AN INSPIRATION Contemporary Belgian artist Edith Dekyndt considers time and the transformation of materials across her body of work. Following the manipulation of everyday objects and mixed media, she creates compositions in transparent vitrines that display the effect of time.
SILHOUETTES A reflection on contemporary elegance, thinking beyond what has come before. Emphasis on the sartorial fabrication of double and single-breasted suits and coats in softly structured, elongated silhouettes. Organza tops and pants that float in transparent volumes. High-waisted, long trousers and cargo variations worn with dark belts to accentuate the waist. Visible layers, under to over, define the body.
FABRICS Materials are treated to appear lived-in, whether cotton drill, heavy cotton, rustic wool linen, Irish linen, classic English herringbone. Wool bonded to scuba, a natural-technical hybrid, along with lightweight parachute cotton and silk pongee. An interplay of matte and sheer, including recycled cashmere wadding and semi-sheer crinkled polyamide resembling glass. High-impact surfaces: a snake pattern on leather and jersey. A one-sided foil that shifts, liquid-like, between silver and gold.
S U M I N A G A S H I A traditional Japanese marbling technique dating back 1,000 years that involves ink patterned atop water, which is transferred to and absorbed by the fabric. In Japanese, the word for fireworks, “hanabi” combines flower and fire. Suminagashi across the collection features large, graphic leaves and flowers, like fireworks blooming in the night sky. One-sided with natural imperfections, every piece is unique.
COLOURS Looks mix monochromes, whether navy and black, ecru and cement, or tonal greys. Saturated accords such as pink-olive-burgundy and black-purple-pink. Soft impressions of peach, rust, lime, turquoise, whether transparent or as a fine, spray paint-effect.
E M B R O I D E R I E S From gold bullion in relief to precious stones, embellishments are clustered and patterned in various forms like fragments of memory. Couching, a stitch technique, creates a degradé of fine gold and silver yarns.
AC C E S S O R I E S A glove boot for a soft structure in lamb or denim, babouches, moccasins and cross-strap sandals; flip-flops enhanced with shearling and velvet. Oversized bags carried in hand or worn on the shoulder.
MUSIC To begin, David Bowie, whose songs and style have been a leitmotif through the years, speaks about time, “One of the most complex human expressions.” and “Ian Fish U.K. Heir” both taken from the film Moonage Daydream by Brett Morgen about David Bowie (Includes excerpts from “Space Oddity” and “Life On Mars?”). Mixed by Soulwax, the music also features The Light (Excerpt) from Philip Glass performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (conductor: Martin Alsop) and Sound and Vision, once again from David Bowie.
MODELS Some who have been with us since the earliest shows, like family; their presence marking the passage of time. Others who are walking our runway for the first time. In order of appearance: Alain Gossuin, Rokas Kavaliauskas, Josef Ptacek, Debra Shaw, Eugene Khmara, Craig Shimirimana, Kristina de Coninck, John Armstrong, Philip Huang, George Barnett, Karen Elson, Gaye Serigne, Henry Kitcher, Hannelore Knuts, Kevin Carlsson, Benno Bulang, Kirsten Owen, Leon Dame, Chubath Kutien, Sihana Shalaj, Xu Meen, Stefano Tartini, Silvia Van Der Klooster, Joshua Thompson, Takfarines Bengana, Leo Cremer, Alvar Af Schulten, Jonas Gloer, Malick Bodian, Taemeen Kim, Marial Aketch, Cole Mohr, Paul Boche, Mathias Lauridsen, Will Chalker, America Gonzales, Jin Park, Antoine Brabant, Finn Collins, Herman Ingerstedt, Denis Okishev, Pierrick Gregoire, Sang Woo Kim, Paul Ohunyon, Clement Chabernaud, Abraham Ajoung, Walid Fiher, Peter Thot, Vasko Luyckx, Sara Blomqvist, Emile Danckaert, Hamaam Pelewura, Thomas Riguelle, Leonard Kipker, Malgosia Bela, Charles Bigear, Daiane Conterato, Armando Cabral, Alpha Dia, Junyeong Baek, Hamin Yu, Douta Sibide.
