BELGIUM’S sweetheart Dries Van Noten is known for his exotic yet sophisticated prints, and his AW19 collection follow suit, quite literally too. Making the accounting class cool in 2019.
Sharply tailored suits made their way down the runway, yet with a twist. Supporting the models were the voices of icons such as David Bowie, David Hockeny, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix and many more. The latter no doubt served as inspiration for the tie-dyed suits. Van Noten proving that tie-dye can be sleek and elegant when done in monochrome. Psychedelic prints keep popping up throughout the collection, be it in long-line coats, trousers or puffer jacket-scarfs and reaching its culmination point with double breasted suits in a kaleidoscopic range of purple hues.
Praise the puffer jackets, giving the three-piece pin-striped suit an update, replacing the waist coat for a far more fashionable puffer tailcoat. Yet, this was just the first in the range of what we can call a different take on the puffer jacket. Some had a more utilitarian cut and were belted around the waist, resembling a safari-jacket. Others lacked their iconic puff-stictching and reached down the floor, or a personal favourite, the knotted puffer jacket.
Through all the oversized puff and psychedelic prints, it were the more simple looks that left the biggest impression. The showstopper comes in the most simple of form at the Dries Van Noten Show: a cream wool belted cardigan paired grey wool cropped trousers, paired with chunky leather boots. An instant Glass-favourite.
Concluding the collection were some warm autumnal shades of browns, camel, beige and navy suits, jumper and meticulously cut trousers. Adding just the right amount of fashion by transforming a pair of laqué leather trousers into overalls.
Dries Van Noten, once again, proving he masters the art of norm core.
by Lupe Baeyens
Photography credits: Guillaume Roujas