Dries Van Noten, one of the most colorful designers of the past four decades, announced Tuesday in a shock decision that he would step down as creative director of the house he founded, with a final show in June in Paris.
Her departure comes six years after she sold majority control of her house to Grupo Puig, the Barcelona-based beauty and fashion group, in June 2018.
“The upcoming Spring/Summer 2025 men's collection will be my last in my current position at DVN. The Spring/Summer 2025 women's collection will be made by my studio team with whom I have been working very closely for all these years. I have full confidence that they will do a great job,” Dries explained in a letter made available to FashionNetwork.com.
There were rumors that Dries had been discussing retirement with the Puigs for several years. Van Noten will be 66 years old when he retires this summer.
“In due course, we will announce the designer who will continue the DVN Men & Women story. However, I will remain involved in the House that I treasure so much. I thank everyone at Puig (Marc Puig, Manuel Puig, José Manuel Albesa and Ana Trias) for continuing to believe in us and for helping us build an even stronger company,” Van Noten added.
The news will spark a storm of speculation over who could succeed Dries. An immediate favorite is Haider Ackermann, whom the Puigs have been able to observe up close.
The Puig Group controls five fashion houses that organize shows: Carolina Herrera, Rabanne, Nina Ricci and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Ackermann was Gaultier's guest couturier in January 2023, when he presented a well-received collection.
Following the sale, Van Noten acquired a splendid villa on the Amalfi Coast, where he is known to want to spend more time with his long-time partner, Patrick Vangheluwe.
“And, of course, thanks to Patrick, for helping me create all the collections and for supporting me from the beginning in the construction of this house,” the designer pointedly noted.
Marc Puig, CEO of the Puig Group, commented: “On behalf of everyone at Puig, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dries Van Noten for the inspiring partnership we have built since he joined our House of Love Brands in 2018. We have expanded the reach of the brand. presence in the US and Asia, refined its digital channels and continued to launch innovative store concepts such as Galerie Quai Malaquais in Paris and La Cienega in Los Angeles.”
One of the most brilliant designers of his time, Van Noten burst onto the fashion firmament after graduating from the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in his native Antwerp, with a group exhibition in London in 1986 with the collective The Antwerp Six.
The son of a men's clothing boutique owner and the grandson of a tailor, Van Noten immediately won praise for his bold sense of color, his radical choice of ethnic fabrics, and his ability to incorporate them into modernist clothing.
“In the early 80s, when I was a young man from Antwerp, my dream was to have a voice in fashion. Through a journey that took me to London, Paris and beyond, and with the help of countless people who supported me, that dream became a reality. Now I want to focus on all the things I never had time for. I am sad, but at the same time happy, to inform you that I will be leaving office at the end of June. “I have been preparing for this moment for a while and I think it is time to make room for a new generation of talent to bring their vision to the brand,” added Van Noten, while thanking the suppliers, workshops and embroiderers in India.
In the late 1980s, Van Noten began staging independent runway shows in unconventional venues, such as Passage Brady, an Indian restaurant gallery in the 9th District. Or in a legendary spectacle, inside a gigantic former Pratt & Whitney factory. , where a long table was set for the 300 guests and the models paraded up and down the white linen tablecloth after the repas.
In 2008, to widespread acclaim, Van Noten won the Council of Fashion Designers of America International Award, fashion's closest equivalent to the Oscars.
“I feel a lot of gratitude towards everyone at DVN. During these years, 38 to be precise, you gave me the opportunity and the energy to produce four collections a year, put on shows, open stores and make DVN the success it is today,” highlighted the Belgian designer, known as a generous host who hosted cocktails after the show and fed guests with traditional food trucks brought in from Belgium. A proud son of Belgium, his annual Christmas gift was a large bar of chocolate from his home country.
Marc Puig was careful to emphasize that Dries would maintain a link with the maison. “We respect Dries' wish to step aside, after an exceptional 38-year career in fashion. It is a great honor for Puig to now be trusted to carry his legacy into the future… The relationship we have with the founders, even after their retirement, has long been a defining factor in Puig's success, and we look forward to continue our personal and professional friendship since Dries remains involved in the brand to work on certain projects,” highlighted the CEO.
Van Noten was famous for keeping tight control over his brand and branding, avoiding advertising campaigns, in part because they could exclude potential customers. And build a small but unique boutique chain, with famous flagship destinations on Quai Malaquais on the Seine.
“We have added beauty and perfume lines, expanded accessories, added e-commerce and opened interesting and innovative stores. The brand is now flourishing. As in a garden, you decide what to plant; and at some point it continues to flourish… Last but not least, my sincere thanks to everyone who loves what we do. Seeing our clothes in the world, knowing that they have a place in your life, has fulfilled me beyond words. I am sure of this: the future of DVN remains bright,” she concludes in her letter addressed to Dear Friends.
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