now and always

"There was something perfect about the finish. The colours were bound with a bi-coloured cording that matched the label, the buttonholes were exquisitely turned, the buttons themselves were made specially for the shirt. When you deal with Dries Van Noten you enter a world that is entirely his own creation; that's what makes it so special."

- Lucille Lewin (founder of Whistles)

 

I can't even begin to describe the way I feel about Dries Van Noten. Every season I'm continually impressed by the effortless silhouettes, intricate textiles and colour palettes. The Spring Summer 2013 collection which just premiered at Paris fashion week is no exception.

I am lucky enough to own a few Dries Van Noten pieces (mostly from my time at Belinda), and find that I wear them constantly, despite being years old. That is the thing about Dries, it truly is timeless. The Dries Van Noten woman never changes, she is just constantly inspired by new things - film, culture, places. I did a research project on the designer not long ago and found some great books on the label like Dries Van Noten : Shape, Print and Fabric and Belgian Fashion Design.

Another favourite is Mono.Kultur vol.20 from 2009 - Van Noten himself tends to shy away from the spotlight which is why this issue of  is so special - a full publication dedicated solely to an interview with the designer. The interview is split up into sections, each dealing with a particular theme. I love the explanation of new collections and the inspiration behind them - Van Noten creates “a character” every season, finding the range comes together quite naturally. He also explains his fascination with traditional elements, textiles and fine detailing.

Another chapter looks at artistic inspiration and the technical process involved with producing textiles. For one particular collection Van Noten used then-new digital prints printed on silk. The processes Van Noten uses are very precise and intricate, getting the fabric right is one of the most important parts in creating the collection. This comes across clearly in Spring Summer 13 where floral prints are mixed with plaid and textures range from sheer silks to heavy applique.

On an end note, I'll leave you with my favourite quote from Dries - “enjoy your life, fashion is not so important”.

1. Pencil & watercolour illustration by me looking at Dries SS13, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8. Dries SS13 via style.com, 4. Mono.Kultur vol.20 photographed by me,
6. My Dries shoe collection photographed by me