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Dries Van Noten is to take his final bow at his men’s show in June in Paris, Vogue Business has learned. His successor has not yet been named.
“Now, I want to shift my focus to all the things I never had the time for. I’m sad, but at the same time happy, to let you know that I will step down at the end of June. I have been preparing for this moment for a while, and I feel it’s time to leave room for a new generation of talents to bring their vision to the brand,” Van Noten wrote in a letter, with an illustration of the designer and his dog by Richard Haines.
He added that the women’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection will be designed by the studio team. “I have full confidence that they will do a great job. In due time, we will announce the designer who will continue the story of the DVN men and women. However, I will stay involved in the house that I treasure so much.”
The 65-year-old Belgian designer, known for his avant-garde collections and sumptuous use of colours, sold a majority stake of his brand to Spanish fashion and beauty conglomerate Puig in 2018. He remained a significant minority shareholder and has continued his role as chief creative officer and chairman of the board. “I have been searching for a strong partner for the company which I have built for more than 30 years. I am especially happy that Antwerp and my team will remain at the company’s heart and centre,” Van Noten said in a press release at the time of the acquisition. The amount of the transaction wasn’t disclosed. According to press reports citing industry sources, the company’s annual sales in 2017 were under $100 million.
A member of the Antwerp Six collective, he launched a men’s collection in Antwerp in 1986 and in 1993, brought his women’s collection to the Paris runways. “I’m known for colour and prints and embroideries,” he told Vogue in 2007. “Normally the more clashing it is, the more that I like it.” In 2008, he received the CFDA’s prestigious International Award.