Fabled Belgian fashion designer Dries Van Noten has teamed up with online platforms Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter to create an exclusive capsule collection.
Dedicated pieces have been designed for each site, and will be available online from Monday, May 3. The collections will also be available at six Dries Van Noten stores around the world, although the exact locations have not yet been revealed.
Known for his dazzling skill with pattern and colour, Van Noten draws on the idea of languid summer days for this capsule, which is infused with optimism and vibrancy.
For womenswear, a total of 62 pieces will be offered, ranging from knitted bikini bottoms to sunglasses in cherry pink Perspex. Tops and shorts come emblazoned with the words "Wish you were here", in a nod to nostalgic postcards, and to time spent away from friends and family due to the pandemic.
Dresses are offered in cheery palm tree prints, gathered in Van Noten’s signature draping, while more palms arrive on a floaty, floor-length belted robe in intense blue, or as a black-and-white skirt with a gathered waist. Pops of kaleidoscopic patterning are splayed across playsuits and asymmetric dresses, and even on T-shirts.
With clothes fashioned from lightweight poplin, jersey, terry and mesh knits, the collection will also include accessories and shoes, in what is described as “playful geometric shapes” and bright colours.
Lea Cranfield, chief buying and merchandising officer of Net-A-Porter says: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Dries Van Noten on his first venture into high summer. It is a truly optimistic, fun and bright collection, and a perfect representation of Dries’ carefree vision for the season. It is sure to evoke a sense of escapism, something everyone is looking for right now, and will certainly resonate with Net-a-Porter customers globally.”
For men, meanwhile, there are 40 designs, including relaxed pieces such as patterned shirts, hoodies, loose-fitting shirts and drawstring shorts, in fun, upbeat cactus patterns, as well as a range of accessories. It also marks the first time the designer has collaborated on a menswear collection with a retail partner.
Sam Kershaw, buying director for Mr Porter outlines the significance of this project. “Mr Dries Van Noten is one of the most celebrated designers in our industry, and we are honoured to partner with him and the Dries Van Noten team on an exclusive capsule collection.”
In addition to the collection, the designer will appear in both Porter, the digital magazine for Net-a-Porter, and The Journal, the menswear equivalent. As well as interviews, there will be a video about the collection, narrated by Van Noten himself. "The new capsule and corresponding editorial will no doubt inspire our global customers for sunnier, summer days ahead, and will also provide them with an intimate look at the man behind so many of our favourite collections," Kershaw explains.
Ahead of the exclusive launch, Van Noten says he was “honoured” to have joined forces with both companies on this project. Describing the collections, he says he wanted to infuse the clothes with “an optimistic attitude that reflects a carefree, relaxed day at the beach with friends. A state of mind we all need these days and may soon even be a reality.”
