“Bravo!” shouted Barneys’ Mark Lee. An exiting editor expressed his approval differently: “Someone should call [designer redacted] and say, ‘That’s how it’s done.’”
On Wednesday afternoon Dries Van Noten thrilled with a collection remarkable for its delivery of wildly eccentric fashion within a pragmatic context. During a preview, Van Noten said the collection was about “the heritage of women who are really passionate about fashion, some remarkable women from the past.” He declined to name names, noting these women have been evoked before, but one can imagine his muses: funny-hat, front-row Italian doyenne, divine diva fashion editor.
You May Also Like
Yet this was no costume party and therein lies Van Noten’s particular genius. He loves lush and here piled it on — texture upon texture, jewels, embroideries, giant feather-and-flower jewelry — but he did so without a single sight gag and with an attitude of pure currency. He called the look “unplugged glamour” and for all the stuff, it radiated chic composure, a bacchanal of disciplined flamboyance presented with a wistful aura reflected in the soundtrack, itself an homage to women, featuring haunting vocals by a cross-generational lineup of female artists that included Elizabeth Fraser, Björk, Beyoncé, Courtney Love, Deborah Harry and Jane Birkin.
As always, Van Noten started with the fabrics that he sought to push in “an obsessive way.” He played incredibly opulent jacquards, brocades and embroideries, their rich patterns rooted in orientalism, against utilitarian khaki, often with clear military references. The contrast was fabulous: coat in long-haired faux fur, dotted gold jacquard and quilting over a red-and-gold brocade sweatshirt and wide khakis; classic trench with exterior “lining” in exquisite brocade; a safari shirtdress and pants that got a shot of exotica in a big jacquard envelope bag. At other times, he went for it with all-lavish pilings — variations on cherry blossoms, clouds, dragons and other motifs worn in concert, simple shirts, sweatshirts, below-the-knee shorts integrating with more languid dresses and impeccable tailoring. Along the way, Van Noten engaged in creative use of extras. He belted frilled, asymmetric peplums to jackets, and in one of the collection’s major motifs, tied big, simply constructed ball skirts onto dressed-down underpinnings — a Chinoiserie-embroidered version to a navy shirt and pants; brocade over voluminous chinos. It made for a new kind of evening drama — and a genuine fashion moment.