Dries Van Noten, a giant fashion show at Courneuve and a standing ovation for his farewell to fashion

Last March, in a press release in the form of a moving “letter to his friends”, Dries Van Noten announced that he was bowing out, “sad and happy” at the same time to leave his position as creative director of the house that he founded in 1986. At 66 years old, the one who was part of the “Antwerp Six” (these Belgian designers who revolutionized fashion in the 1980s), the one who sublimated each Paris Fashion Week with his enchanting parades, his clothes with extra soul, its flowers and its colors, came to greet last night, with a final spring summer 2025 men’s fashion show, its friends and all those who loved it so much.

There were many people flocking to La Courneuve on the evening of June 22 to the huge disused Babcock factory, the former economic heart of the city, specializing in the manufacture of boilers. A cool and improbable place that suits the Antwerp designer perfectly, a concrete hangar at the foot of the RER B which had already served as the setting for his memorable show in October 2004 which celebrated his fiftieth fashion show: at the time a 140-meter festive table long, illuminated by crystal chandeliers, was transformed into a podium before the amazed eyes of the guests.

Pier Paolo Piccioli, Norman Reedus and Venus Williams

Last night, no table set but a festive cocktail with huge video panels retracing moments of life and the 129 fashion shows of the Antwerp master awaited the approximately 900 invited guests. No pop stars or fashionable actresses, not the type of the house, but very many fashion designers – his classmates from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Walter Van Beirendonck and Ann Demeulemeester but also Thom Browne, Véronique Nichanian, the hatter Stephen Jones, Haider Ackermann, Pierpaolo Piccioli… Venus Williams and the actor Norman Reedus appear, the champagne flows freely, the atmosphere is warm but the emotion palpable. One thing is certain: Dries Van Noten has the art of hosting.

The creators’ tribute

Compliments flow, memories come to the surface. The discreet Dries Van Noten is unanimous. The iconic Belgian designer Diane Von Furstenberg praises her discipline, her aesthetic, her elegance and her fidelity while the artistic director of Y/Project and Diesel, Glenn Martens, celebrates her perfection and her poetry. “When you see a master of color and beauty, it can only inspire you,” he tells us. It’s going to be complicated to find something so modern and tasteful in the next world. Alexandre Matiussi, founder of the Ami label, exclaims: “Dries is a landmark, a symbol of elegance, a designer who really has a taste for clothing and this desire to make it wearable, I hope to be like him, in all humility. I am also very admiring of the balance he has found in his life, between fashion, his passion and his intimate, more confidential life. It’s really chic in today’s world.”

A podium with silver leaves

At 10 p.m., black curtains open, guests discover a huge podium covered in silver leaves that shine and delicately fly. The parade can begin. It’s Alain Gossuin, the iconic Belgian model of the 1990s, who opens the collection, in a very elegant long black coat. He was already present on the designer’s first show, is one of the key faces of Dries Van Noten, just like Karen Elson, Kirsten Owen, Leon Dame and Hanne Gaby Odiele, also present on the podium. Moonage Daydream by David Bowie resonates and the passages follow one another with girls and boys of all generations.

Rose, peach and lime

The tops and loose pants in transparent organza seem to float, the perfectly cut monochrome suits with casual chic are embroidered with gold patterns then the color invites itself on sublime pink silk coats, peach mohairs and lime lurex. The flowers, of course, express themselves delicately, the materials – from light cotton to rustic wool, from classic English chevron to polyamide crumpled like glass – seem to come to life and tell the stories of the past as much as those to come. . The touches of gold or silver shine depending on the lighting are so beautiful that they immediately light up sparks in the eyes, the Bermuda shorts, jackets, tops or pants as if sculpted in golden metal are to die for, combined with captivating black .

Dries Van Noten comes to say hello, also very moved. Standing ovation. A huge disco ball emerges from the podium. “It’s been such a long time since we’ve had a moment like this,” exclaims the fashion editor of a department store. The party can begin. Just like the future of his label which does not stop with this last fashion show. Dries Van Noten affirmed, if he retires to enjoy the flowers of his garden in Antwerp, he will continue to be involved in this house that he cherishes so much and will then announce (with the Puig group, which has become a majority shareholder of his brand in 2018) the name of the creator who will continue his beautiful story.

Show must go on

In his note of attention, he concludes: “This is my 129th show. Like the previous ones, it is focused on the future. Tonight there’s a lot going on, but it’s not a grand finale. I think of Marcello Mastroianni who once spoke of the paradoxical “Nostalgia for the future”, beyond the lost paradises imagined by Proust, and how we continue to pursue our dreams knowing that at some point we will be able to think about them again with love. I love my job, I love doing fashion shows and sharing fashion with people. To create is to leave something that lasts. What I feel about this moment is that it is not only mine, but ours, forever.” Thank you Dries Van Noten.