Dries Van Noten Menswear F/W 2025.26 Paris

[yslforever]

Wasn’t he JUST appointed last month??? I understand he’s internal but still, the amount of time he had to create a debut collection is insane. Don’t get me wrong. It’s bad. And it’s not reading DVN. Like at all. But also, what do you expect from someone who had FIVE weeks?

Michele had 2 and a half weeks for his debut collection at Gucci

 

[velvetandsilk]

A very bad direction that is starting to become out of fashion and a bit archaic, most of the common designers live in a bubble and do not see the changes.

 

[perhydrol]

I feel like the man of Dries Van Noten had always had a strong queer undertone, but this new direction is just too costumey, too overpowering, too... almost too detached from reality in a way. There are some nice pieces, but I would never guess it's a Dries Van Noten collection. It definitely feels like a commercialised version of Galliano's Margiela mixed with some Erdem here and there.

What actually bothers me the most is the disconnection between the s/s 25 womenswear show and this offering. It's like two extremely different creative directions, clashing with each other. When you add the last collection designed by Dries, it's giving customer alienation.

I know that Dries wanted to find a designer who would shake the brand, but I'm not sure if this is the right way to do that.

 

[Phuel]

...No show to redeem this fanboy Galliano x Margiela tribute...???

Let’s not pretend that Dries had never left the building long before this: There was that weird soft rebrand back in 2019 that had the charming and gentlemanly romantic’s wardrobe replaced with shapeless, unisex stuff and a headcount cast of gormless children; then his last remaining collections never did quite capture the quiet confidence, subtle exuberance and down-to-earth opulence of his best days. What’s insulting about this is not that this person took the Dries man in a different direction and evolved the Dries sensibility— because he did none of that. It’s that he has betrayed, and is determined to destroy the image of the very distinctive gentlemanly romantic that Dries created— one that was never costumey nor relied on gimmicks/tricks, only to be replaced by an image that isn’t even of his own— but a blatant ripoff of Galliano’s Margiela male, wholesale. What a way to burn that was absolutely unique and of an individual, and tell the loyal Dries customers to fcuk off and debut oneself as a Galliano fanboy and a hack. It’s just so pathetic LMFAO

 

[LadyJunon]

The copywriting for this collection is more pretentious that the collection itself:

The collection captures how contrasts turn complementary, and how artistic influences can alter masculine archetypes.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ This person is quickly shaping up to be Sabato v2.0

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

^^ The collection rather captures how spectacular was John Galliano's tenure at Margiela, and I can understand the hommage, because it was fashion heaven.

I like the pull with boat neck and slightly puffed shoulders combined with the mao collar shirt. I like the purple lining of the jackets.

I would like to see in better definition the multicolor patchwork coat but the blurry romantic photo à la Sarah Moon makes it difficult.

I will wait to see more of J. Klausner to form an idea of how he imagines Dries van Noten.

 

[Lola701]

I hope that they will respect their clientele enough to not scare them. Presentation is super important, even more from a brand that sells majority clothes, doesn’t do advertising and all the fashion game.

If they are clever, they should include some men’s looks in the show in March and maybe show a less dramatic version of those silhouettes.

 

[Ives927]

It's concerning that the studio team and the new CD promoted from within put out such a collection that is so disconnected from the history and archive of Dries.

When I look back at Dries's collections, his clothes are always rooted in reality. I believe in his clothes having a purpose in the customer's wardrobe. I never questioned whether something can be worn off the runway. Nothing about this collection reads practical and I see no real life situation for any of these clothes. It's playing dress up. The Dries men aren't cosplaying in real life. Even when Dries dabbled in streetwear in the last few years, there were still a lot of wardrobe staples begin offered.

The SS25 women's collection still felt true to Dries. I don't know what happened with this mens collection. There is so much archive to work with and yet they just disregard all of it. That doesn't make sense to me. Let's hope they is a one off and they recalibrate.

And these younger designers need to stop with the queer, androgynous, "altering masculine archetypes" aesthetic. Just design good clothes for you male clientele.