Milan, at last.
Dries Van Noten’s Italian aficionados and fashion enthusiasts that duly pilgrim to the brand’s store in Paris every time they step in the City of Lights can now count on shorter trips for their injection of beauty.
The brand is opening its first store in the Italian fashion capital, zeroing in on an intimate location nestled in the arty district of Brera.
The 538-square-foot unit to be unveiled on Friday follows the Gallery format that is also present in Paris and Brussels, and is dedicated to the brand’s fragrance, beauty and accessories lines only.
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Hence the strategic location, with the space housed in a 19th-century building standing opposite the landmark Palazzo Citterio and on the corner between Via Carmine and Via Brera, a street known for its concentration of niche fragrance retailers and beauty players, ranging from Campomarzio70 and Olfattorio Bar à Parfums to Officine Universelle Buly 1803, Montale and The Merchant of Venice, among others.
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These are alternated by art galleries, which are also in sync with the approach the Dries Van Noten store was conceived. As for the brand’s other units opened recently, the interior concept was overseen by the company’s founder, who retired from the runway last year, passing the creative baton to Julian Klausner.
“Brera’s artistic language, its streets, its architecture spoke to what we wanted the store to be. This felt like ‘home’ for a Gallery of this kind,” Van Noten told WWD. He added that this format felt right for the city and the recent Brussels opening as these units are meant to “offer an immediate and intimate encounter.”
“[The goal was] to create a moment of discovery, a place to slow down and treat yourself,” said the Belgian designer. “The space holds contrast, old and new, raw and refined. And a sense of calm, for small surprises that reveal themselves slowly.”
Such surprises not only refer to the product assortment but also the design pieces Van Noten has selected for the space and that stand out in the cozy, sophisticated environment juxtaposing materials such as polished white marble, travertine and brushed brass elements.
For one, a large travertine panel sculpted by Nerone Ceccarelli adds to the tactile quotient of the interiors, while a 2015 painting by Natalie Maier conveys a delicate chromatic quality. Other key elements comprise a rare desk designed by Silvio Berrone for Bialetti’s Milan headquarters in 1955, which dominates the store as much as the design chandelier made of Venini glass elements from the 1970s.
Van Noten said that he focused on “pieces that spoke to the space and carry history and intensity” in his scouting process.
As for customers’ own product hunting, they will find the brand’s whole fragrance collection, beauty range and accessories, including the new lipstick case “Mezzanotte Blu,” or “Midnight Blue” in English, launching exclusively at Milan’s store this month.
“Milan understands beauty. There’s a sophisticated energy and respect for details; a quiet confidence that resonates with the brand,” Van Noten said about the local clientele.
So much so that the brand decided to double its presence in town this month, and not to disappoint customers eager to find the Dries Van Noten ready-to-wear collections: The company will also have a pop-up installation at the high-end retailer Antonia Milano’s outpost at the Portrait hotel. To be celebrated with an event during Milan Fashion Week on Thursday, the pop-up will showcase the Dries Van Noten fall 2025 women’s collection “Behind the curtain” — the first under Klausner’s tenure.
As reported, the Milan store opening is part of a bigger retail rollout plan that the company shared exclusively with WWD earlier this year. The surge of expansion in 2025 was headlined by fashion and beauty flagships opening in New York City and London, in addition to the beauty and accessories units debuting in Brussels and Milan.
For each location, Van Noten focused on creating spaces deeply connected to their surroundings, honoring the local culture while staying true to the brand’s core aesthetics. The founder confirmed there are more stores to come but underscored that “we only open when we feel we can give it something unique, not just more.”
Even if he stayed mum on where the Dries Van Noten retail flag might be planted next, the designer must be in his Italian era, as this year he found in the country a fertile ground for a personal project, too.
As reported, in May he acquired the 15th-century Palazzo Pisani Moretta on the Grand Canal in Venice, with plans to create a cultural venue around craft and art. According to the release shared at the time, Van Noten’s venture at the historic landmark “will be shaped through ongoing dialogue between artists and artisans, and will include exhibitions and presentations, offering a platform for contemporary work and inviting the public into a place where heritage is respected and thoughtfully reimagined for future generations.”