Dries Van Noten
Founder of the Dries Van Noten fashion house (designed it until 2024)
Dries Van Noten is a Belgian designer who founded the house that carries his name in 1986 and led it creatively until 2024. A member of the Antwerp Six, he built one of the most respected independent fashion businesses of his generation before selling a majority stake to Puig in 2018.
| Role | Founder; creative lead until 2024 |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Dries Van Noten (majority owned by Puig since 2018) |
| Born | 1958, Antwerp |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Successor | Julian Klausner |
| Known for | Antwerp Six, prints and colour |
Who is Dries Van Noten?
Dries Van Noten, born in Antwerp in 1958, is a Belgian fashion designer and the founder of the Dries Van Noten label. He is known for a distinctive use of print, colour and layered fabrics, and for running a creatively led house that stayed independent for more than thirty years. He announced his retirement from design in March 2024 and presented his final collection, menswear for spring/summer 2025, in June 2024.
Career
Van Noten grew up in a family of garment makers and retailers and graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 1980. In 1986 he presented menswear in London as part of the group that became known as the Antwerp Six, alongside fellow graduates of the academy. He built the company with his long standing business partner and chief executive Christine Mathys.
Retail was part of the business model from an early stage. The first shop, Het Modepaleis in Antwerp, opened in 1989, followed over time by stores in cities including Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris and Singapore, while the collections were also sold through a broad network of multibrand stockists. In 2018 the Spanish fashion and beauty group Puig acquired a majority stake in the company, with Van Noten keeping a minority shareholding and continuing as creative lead.
- 1980: graduates from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp
- 1986: first menswear collection with the Antwerp Six
- 1989: opens Het Modepaleis in Antwerp
- 2008: CFDA International Designer of the Year
- 2018: Puig acquires a majority stake
- 2024: final collection and retirement from design
Influence on the fashion business
Van Noten showed that a designer led house could grow internationally on the strength of product, fabric development and a loyal wholesale and retail base rather than on licensing or logo driven growth. His shows in Paris became reference points for prints and textile combinations, and the Antwerp Six helped establish Belgium, and Antwerp in particular, as a source of design talent with lasting influence on European fashion education.
His succession was handled from within. Julian Klausner, who joined the house in 2018 as head of womenswear, became creative director and presented his first women's runway show in that role in March 2025, followed by his first menswear collection in June 2025. The house continues to show menswear and womenswear in Paris under Puig ownership.
Why it matters
For brand owners and buyers, Dries Van Noten is a case study in building long term value through a clear creative identity, controlled distribution and patient growth. The transition from founder to an internal successor after an acquisition by a larger group is also a model that many independent fashion companies are now studying as their founders approach retirement.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Dries Van Noten?
Dries Van Noten is a Belgian fashion designer, born in 1958, who founded his label in 1986 as one of the Antwerp Six. He led the house creatively until his retirement in 2024.
Who designs Dries Van Noten now?
Julian Klausner, who joined the house in 2018 as head of womenswear, is creative director. He showed his first womenswear collection in that role in March 2025.