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Show Report: Dries Van Noten S/S 15 Menswear

by Lou Stoppard on 28 June 2014

Lou Stoppard reports on the Dries Van Noten S/S 15 menswear show.

Lou Stoppard reports on the Dries Van Noten S/S 15 menswear show.

There's always an aristocratic majesty to Dries Van Noten's clothes. They are easy to wear, but still somehow regal and refined. This was particularly obvious at today's presentation, which riffed on ideas of male abilities and physical attributes. Dance and all the precision and training that goes along with it were on Van Noten's mind, hence all that workout wear, from lounge robes to underwear-like jersey pieces and even harnesses that recalled specialist, historical activewear. Indeed, this wasn't your typical modern dance-wear. Van Noten's no tracksuit monger. No, he'd mixed athleticism with his signature opulence and sensuality, giving the collection a sense of history and even chivalry - those men became models of fitness and stature.

That was backed up by the print that adorned loose-fitting shirts - a naked male dancer by illustrator Richard Haines. In an era where fashion has never been more visible and fast-moving - buy a printed sweatshirt one season, throw it away the next - Van Noten's focus on a skill and good life, rather than just a good wardrobe is intriguing. Not everyone can have the elegance, abilities or physique of a dancer, they're exclusive and require toil (something that was hinted at by the monotony of that one-note soundtrack), but anyone can buy clothes. This was about poise, and truly unattainable beauty. As 'accessible' luxury becomes the ubiquity, Van Noten's new, refined angle feels exciting.

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