Julian Klausner’s debut menswear outing for Dries Van Noten, staged yesterday in a stripped‑back concrete garage, felt like both a tribute and a revelation. The 33-year-old Belgian designer – who previously oversaw the house’s womenswear collections alongside founder Dries Van Noten – leaned into signature house codes – bold florals, layered stripes, silk sarongs – but elevated them with an unexpected ease that felt decidedly modern rather than nostalgic. Think high‑waist cycling shorts paired with shimmering cummerbunds, boxy tailoring softened by fluid silk and sequin‑sprinkled bombers that winked at eveningwear without ever feeling overwrought. Or tight ties and double breasted jackets coupled with seashell-spangled necklaces.
There was something liberating about seeing sarongs styled as weekday staples and sleeveless knits cinched just so – refreshingly free of irony and rooted in real‑world romance. The palette? Clashing reds, acid pinks, jade greens – dramatic yet harmonised into languid, sun‑soaked layers. Even the setting – a raw, industrial slab – felt meticulously chosen to spotlight the clothes, not the spectacle.
The overall mood saw the DVN man on a perfect summer day after a party, his shirt half‑untucked, the silhouette alive with spontaneity. Bold but not show‑off-ish, sculptural yet wearable, Klausner struck a perfect, playful chord with this collection, ushering in a new era for the Dries Van Noten man.
Photography courtesy of Dries Van Noten.
