While we have generally seen almost analogous trends threading through each fashion capital so far this season, in Paris, designers are doing things their way. It was left to Dries Van Noten to do things his own way on the second day of printemps/été in Paris, wasting no time to relish in his love of eclectic multi-coloured mix ‘n’ matches, layered noisily for a topmost tempo. Dries’ aesthetic is one which is performing better in 2014 than ever before, an era in which Antwerp’s old school design talents couldn’t be any more contemporary, and also, simply raring to experiment with what little boundaries there are still left to push. In his first step towards all that was unconventional, composing a dreamy Ophelia by Millais wonderland, Noten had his catwalk carpeted in woollen moss to add even more texture to a collection that got heavier and heavier with a melange of fabrics, treatments and nifty beadwork as it went on.
Tapping into many a young British girls midsummer night’s festival dream, the designer, unwittingly or knowingly – who knows, embraced the progressive spirit that will put a sparkle in the eyes of many a aforementioned young girl. Interesting for a designer who has never really got hung up on such trendy things.
The first sparkle to glimmer away at Dries this season though was on the clothes, with haphazard embellishments sprinkled here and there on vaguely deconstructed pieces. As usual, Noten’s attempt to deconstruct regular notions of a catwalk show was noble and resulted in some pretty clothes, but if he is really craving a resonant change, he might want the clothes to pack more of a punch next time.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Style.com