Paris Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2011 Pt 2: Dries Van Noten

I have been waiting with baited breath to see what Dries Van Noten had in store for Fall/Winter 2011, and he certainly did not disappoint. I agree wholeheartedly with Sarah Mower (vogue.com):

"Watching a Dries Van Noten show sometimes has a slow-burn effect: It starts off seeming like nothing much, but by the end, you've bought into his world."

Dries is King of mixing prints, first of all he creates fabrics. Then, he does not design total outfits, e.g. a jacket going with a certain skirt or shirt next to it. He creates single pieces and wants every garment to have its own value and a possibility of numerous combinations. Every collection is timeless, and a continuation of previous work: pieces can be worn with pieces from previous collections, or an ordinary piece already in your wardrobe (e.g. a vintage/old t-shirt, boyfriend/hubby/partner's white shirt or a beaten up sweatshirt). Dries often keeps the silhouette simple (yet flattering), to let the fabric and print shine through, ingeniously making top-to-toe clashing prints work. I loved the use of tweed (I have a pair of wide-leg tweed pants from a very old collection of his, and loved this slouchy version), and chinoiserie brocades, the red and the blue coat were just to-die-for, and I loved the burnished gold. The dresses and top/long skirt combinations were absolutely desirable:

garancedore.fr, vogue.com.au and thesartorialist.com