Dries Van Noten

Born into a family of tailors, in 1958, Belgian designer Dries Van Noten would go on to attend the Antwerp Academy, from which he graduated in the early Eighties. Alongside other members of the Antwerp Six – which also included fellow Academy graduates Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee – Van Noten's debut men's collection was exhibited in London, in 1986, creating swift critical acclaim and much-needed commercial rewards for the young designer.

In the ensuing years, Van Noten has enhanced his reputation for innovation, adventurous prints and fine tailoring not only by adding womenswear to his remit, but also through his own quiet determination to resist attention-seeking and fleeting trends, in favour of designs that speak of integrity and quality.

Here he warmly recalls that initial, idealistic trip to London for the unveiling of his first collection – as well as reminiscing about his debut Paris runway show of five years later – both of which brought about increased levels of international success that have been sustained to the present day.

Dries Van Noten: After a few years as a freelance fashion designer, I presented my first men's collection, Sailing, for Autumn-Winter, in March, 1986, at the British Designer Show in Olympia. It was the beginning of everything for me, as Barney’s in New York, Pauw in Amsterdam and Whistles in London all ordered garments. Plus, Armand and Martine Hadida from L’Eclaireur – who were the first Parisians to discover my work.

We had ascribed ourselves the moniker The Antwerp Six because our names were not so easy to remember. We embarked in a van for London, and lived this great experience together. We were full of energy, with no fear. It was a different era – one that was easier for poor young designers. I was of course very excited, but not anxious. I was young and probably foolhardy.

This first collection was inspired by yachting. I had no budget at all – I was a 28 year old man, enitrely self–financed. The collection – quite sober and with a classical elegance – was made using mostly linen, cotton and light wool. I already had this unconditional passion for fabrics, but at that time they were not yet exclusive. There were a lot of jackets but not yet any accessories. Barney’s wanted to sell this collection to women as well – they bought small sizes and asked me to design skirts in the same fabrics!

It then took another five years to decide to organize a menswear fashion show, which was for the Spring-Summer 1992 collection and took place in the basement of the hotel Saint-James & Albany in central Paris, on Friday, July 5, 1991. It was my first collaboration with Etienne Russo and I assume his first show as well. Rehearsals went smoothly. The soundtrack included an extract from the motion picture Moonstruck and That’s Amore from Dean Martin, mixed by Belgian DJ Koen Rogghe. The show – which I styled myself – and the venue had a deliberately amateur feel and was all rather well organized. Even so, at the end of the show we understood why a lot of models – mostly friends of mine – arrived barefoot on the catwalk: a dresser, taken with a crazy panic, had desperately tried to put the wrong sized shoes on them!

Afterwards, I was exhausted, yet relieved. Reactions from the audience were very positive and encouraging. I learned that journalists and stylists who attended understood my respect of traditional values versus my will to break with established codes and conventions. My approach to design today remains similar – though evolved.

James Anderson writes for Another Man, Another, Fantastic Man, i-D, Arena Homme Plus, Harrods, PIN-UP and Nowness.com