Dries Van Noten
Fashion Designer
Brand
Dries Van Noten is a Belgian fashion designer. Born in Antwerp in 1958, Van Noten is the third generation in a family of tailors. In 1976, at the age of 18, he entered the fashion design course of Antwerp’s Royal Academy. The same year he met Christine Mathys who would be his business partner and tireless champion until her death in 1999. While continuing his studies, Van Noten began to work as a freelance designer for commercial collections for a Belgian manufacturer.
After graduating, Dries Van Noten continued to freelance before going onto producing his own collection of blazers, shirts and trousers. The line met with almost immediate success on its launch in 1986. The same year, Van Noten opened a tiny eponymous boutique in Antwerp’s gallery arcade, selling both his men's and women's collections.
In 1989, he quit his modest boutique for a five-storey former department store in the Nationalestraat, which Van Noten set about restoring, retaining many of the original fixtures and fittings, including the name Het Modepaleis. With the company expanding quickly, Van Noten opened a Parisian showroom and press office, quickly followed by the opening of a second showroom in Milan.
In July 2000, Dries Van Noten moved into a 60,000 sq ft warehouse on Godefriduskaai, Antwerp, which had billeted both German and Allied troops during WW2. The six-storey industrial space houses the showroom, design, marketing, production, accounts and distribution departments and archives.
In January 2007, Dries Van Noten opened a women's boutique in Paris, followed by his first men's store there in 2010.
Van Noten has been recognised multiple times for his contributions to fashion, including becoming a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres in 2009, the same year being inducted into the Galerie des Eminents by the Flemish Chamber of Commerce (VOKA). He has also won the Flemish Royal Academy's Gold Medal (2009), Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion from the Couture Council of the Museum at FIT (2009), the CFDA International Award (2008) and RSA Royal Designer of Industry (2008). In 2010 Dries Van Noten was invited to preside over the 25th edition of the Festival International de Mode et de Photographie of Hyeres. In 2016, Van Noten won the Culture Award of the Province of Antwerp for his cultural contribution.
Dries Van Noten is a Belgian fashion designer. Born in Antwerp in 1958, Van Noten is the third generation in a family of tailors. In 1976, at the age of 18, he entered the fashion design course of Antwerp’s Royal Academy. The same year he met Christine Mathys who would be his business partner and tireless champion until her death in 1999. While continuing his studies, Van Noten began to work as a freelance designer for commercial collections for a Belgian manufacturer.
After graduating, Dries Van Noten continued to freelance before going onto producing his own collection of blazers, shirts and trousers. The line met with almost immediate success on its launch in 1986. The same year, Van Noten opened a tiny eponymous boutique in Antwerp’s gallery arcade, selling both his men's and women's collections.
In 1989, he quit his modest boutique for a five-storey former department store in the Nationalestraat, which Van Noten set about restoring, retaining many of the original fixtures and fittings, including the name Het Modepaleis. With the company expanding quickly, Van Noten opened a Parisian showroom and press office, quickly followed by the opening of a second showroom in Milan.
In July 2000, Dries Van Noten moved into a 60,000 sq ft warehouse on Godefriduskaai, Antwerp, which had billeted both German and Allied troops during WW2. The six-storey industrial space houses the showroom, design, marketing, production, accounts and distribution departments and archives.
In January 2007, Dries Van Noten opened a women's boutique in Paris, followed by his first men's store there in 2010.
Van Noten has been recognised multiple times for his contributions to fashion, including becoming a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres in 2009, the same year being inducted into the Galerie des Eminents by the Flemish Chamber of Commerce (VOKA). He has also won the Flemish Royal Academy's Gold Medal (2009), Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion from the Couture Council of the Museum at FIT (2009), the CFDA International Award (2008) and RSA Royal Designer of Industry (2008). In 2010 Dries Van Noten was invited to preside over the 25th edition of the Festival International de Mode et de Photographie of Hyeres. In 2016, Van Noten won the Culture Award of the Province of Antwerp for his cultural contribution.
