Runway: Dries Van Noten F/W21
From dawn till dusk, Dries Van Noten dreams about menswear. In his latest collection, the ever-fastidious Belgian baron balanced the familiar with the new against a backdrop that illustrated a day’s phases. Swipe through the photo gallery (or watch the video here), and you’ll notice the steady dawn-to-dusk transition.
This latest collection left the impression that Dries was breathing a sigh of relief, waking up at the crest of a new day. After last season’s wildly colorful collection full of vivacious prints and patterns, it seems that Van Noten missed his erstwhile modus operandi - impeccable construction, harmonious silhouettes, and expert tailoring. Dries isn’t leaving behind menswear wardrobe staples anytime soon, for he is the master of balancing recognizability and quality. Were he a bolder, more brash individual, perhaps we’d hear him ask, “Need I remind you who did it first?”
“It was really nice to be able to work on construction, on shapes, on volumes, rather than really bold colors and wild prints. It was about going to the menswear wardrobe staples, and trying not to leave them because I wanted them to be recognizable, but to look at their function, and the way you feel about some things that you think you know but which maybe you don’t.”
Van Noten gives his thoughts on his latest collection to Vogue during a pre-show call.
As a new day dawns, new events transpire, and one gains a fresh perspective on their reality. While Dries plays in the familiar with his overall looks here, there’s a sense of looseness, slouchiness, and playful comfortability - this is menswear that accounts for our current reality, this strange world we’re trying our very best to live in. Dyed denim is left to stack atop chunky loafers, lengthy dress shirts are left untucked, and ties are reimagined into scarves which seem to be keeping necks warm rather than buttoned-up. A pair of trousers, seemingly cut short at the knees, are continued as leg warmers down below. Loops, chains, and rings are a reappearing motif throughout this collection, finding their way into necklaces, belts, and the occasional bag. These may act as a “grounding” aspect for each look, drawing the eye and “cinching” a loose silhouette into a cohesive whole.
Going back to basics is liberating. It is safe and dependable, and revisiting this space allows Van Noten to improve upon that which is seemingly inexorable. It’s the dawn of a new day, and Dries has brought new life to his most familiar setting - classic menswear, reimagined for a new day.