Dries van Noten Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear FW20914

Dries van Noten not only presented his fall/winter 2014 collection in Paris, he also prepared an exhibition in the Museum des Arts Decoratifs. His fall collection was audacious and practical, making for powerful, chic-with-a-twist viewing. Op Art graphics and color-centric rave-culture inspired the Belgian designer.

One of Van Noten’s great strengths is his ability to control visually intense motifs, any apparent randomness is intentional. His swirls, overlapping triptych circles and broken-striped grids were applied with bravado executed oh-so-carefully. At times, he went for the contrast of the caustic-on-classic. At other times, he opted for full-on visual shock value. Undulating stripes were another interpretation.
Throughout, Van Noten integrated athletic references — jackets and pants with zippers and parachute details that stood in contrast to the collection’s more obviously polished fare. Either way, he kept his proportions ample, right down to the primary accessories: big, 3-D flowers.