Just before eight o’clock yesterday evening (22 June 2024) a flurry of black cars made their way out of Paris towards the northern suburb of St Denis, where a vast former factory had been transformed for Dries Van Noten’s final runway collection. Earlier this year, the Belgian designer – first known for being part of the avant-garde Antwerp Six which rose to prominence in the early 1990s – announced he would be stepping away from his label after 38 years at the helm.
Entering the space, an enormous cube-like structure flickered through clips from Van Noten’s 128 previous runway shows (the final collection would be his 129th), alongside clips of the designer working with his atelier and team. Around it milled the show’s guests, each there to pay homage to the designer’s acclaimed career. They included fellow Antwerp Six designers Ann Demeulemeester and Walter Van Beirendonck, former Valentino designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, Hermès’ Véronique Nichanian, American designer Thom Browne, and milliner Stephen Jones, among others.
