“I’m an artist who’s fascinated by movement”—A look into Dries Van Noten’s sober psychedelia

For purist adepts of chromatic exuberance, all roads lead to Dries van Noten. Historically, the Antwerp veteran’s oeuvre has conjured up lyricism and vivacity — colours, patterns and experimental cuts abound, all whilst suffused with a sartorial conservatism more often than not mistaken for muted fun. 

The Belgian label’s latest collection doesn’t do much to elucidate the ambiguity or provide a  ready-made answer to those seeking to slither with resolve inside the couturier’s famously arcane mind.

References for the SS21 co-ed collection signal all but solemnity; with visuals erupting from Viviane Sassen’s surrealist lens, mens’ and womenswear cohere in their rousing magnetism, half metaphysical, half funk-inspired. 

Gender is present but superfluous when dissecting the juxtaposition of couture classicism and slouchy psychedelia — van Noten’s primary inspiration for the collection is New Zealand artist and kinetic sculptor Len Lye, whose experimental films echo the early days of abstract art.

Echoes of Kandinsky, and the spiritual ‘entranced’ practice of Swedish mystic Hilma af Klint, who claims to have created most of her work in an alternate state of mind, whilst practicing spiritism. Lye’s ghost also looms over the collection insofar as the avant-garde artist’s primary focus is on motion. “Movement is very important,” van Noten says of the unifying thread between his two collections presented in unison as a digital premiere. 

“I love to see the clothes and fabric in movement, I love to see people moving in the garments; that’s why I love fashion shows, even if they’re not physically possible at the moment. We started the collection whilst in lockdown, working via Zoom, and it was a new take, something we’d never done before.” Be judicious in your folly, van Noten’s brand of Belgian stoicism seems to tell us. 

Take an exclusive look through the Dries Van Noten SS21 co-ed collection below: