Heritage
A house, in its own words
Dries Van Noten the designer was born in 1958 in Antwerp into a family of garment makers and traders. His father owned a menswear shop, grounding the young designer in fabric, construction, and the language of clothing from an early age. Van Noten studied at La Cambre in Brussels, building a strong foundation in design before embarking on his fashion career. In 1986, he co-founded his eponymous label with Christine Mathys, who serves as CEO and business partner. The brand quickly distinguished itself within the Antwerp Six, a group of avant-garde Belgian designers that reshaped the global fashion conversation in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their success elevated Belgium's status in the international fashion arena and established a template for conceptual, artistically-driven fashion labels. The company remained privately held for decades, with estimated annual sales of thirty million euros reported in 2007. In 2018, Spanish fragrance and fashion conglomerate Puig acquired a majority stake, bringing new resources for expansion while allowing Van Noten to continue directing the creative vision. That same year, actress Cate Blanchett wore the brand for the Academy Awards, beginning a sustained red carpet relationship. Queen Mathilde of Belgium and actress Maggie Gyllenhaal have also worn the label. The brand's expansion into mainland China included stores in Shanghai and Chengdu. The United States flagship opened on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, featuring a dedicated gallery space called The Little House. Throughout this growth, the label maintained its focus on innovative textiles, creative pattern work, and the interplay between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary cultural references. In March 2024, Van Noten announced his decision to step down as creative director after nearly four decades. His final collection was presented during Paris Fashion Week in June 2024, with Julian Klausner succeeding him. The house remains committed to the visionary spirit and innovative design that defined Van Noten's tenure. Van Noten entered perfumery through collaboration rather than conventional commercial channels. His first fragrance arrived in 2013 through Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, the renowned haute-niche house founded in 2000 by perfume editor Frederic Malle, whose grandfather founded Christian Dior Perfumes. This collaboration introduced Van Noten's fashion philosophy to fragrance audiences on Malle's editor-led terms, where perfumers work without commercial constraints. When the brand launched its own fragrance line in 2022 with Puig, it applied the same unconventional logic to a full collection. Ten unisex fragrances were commissioned, each from a different perfumer, each interpreting an aspect of Van Noten's character. Rather than brief-led commercial fragrance development, Van Noten invited each perfumer to explore his garden at his 19th-century estate outside Antwerp before beginning work. The fragrances are described as unorthodox interpretations of traditional floral themes, building on the brand's fashion philosophy of juxtaposition, cultural layering, and unexpected combinations. The collection contains at least 85% natural ingredients, reflecting a commitment to material quality aligned with the brand's focus on textile innovation and craftsmanship. Fragrances like Raving Rose by Louise Turner and Rosa Carnivora by Daphné Bugey received particular attention for their bold, pepper-infused take on rose and creamy patchouli and vetiver interpretations respectively. The beauty line expansion in 2024 introduced lipsticks and accessories alongside the fragrances, all sharing the same design language of refined restraint and artistic intention.