6 MAY 2021

Dries van Noten talks to Suzy about his more than 30-year career, which launched in 1986 with his own collection of menswear. Since then he has flourished, and is celebrated around the world for his sophisticated and poetic shows, presented in Paris, in which he marries art and craft. 

Suzy with Dries van Noten outside his studio in Antwerp
Suzy with Dries van Noten outside his studio in Antwerp

Dries reminisces with Suzy about being one of the “Antwerp Six” – the group of star students who graduated in 1980 and 1981 from the strong-minded school, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, under the tutelage of its Head of Fashion, the intellectually rigorous Linda Loppa. Together with fellow “Sixers” Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee, the seeds of contemporary style were planted in Belgium and gained an international cult following and hugely influential reach. 


Known for his vibrant prints, floral inspiration and painterly use of colour, Dries van Noten’s collections are a balance of dreams and reality, and many of his collections – such as the magnetic collaboration with haute couture genius Christian Lacroix for Spring/Summer 2020 Ready-to-Wear – mark fashion history.

Catch up with the boundary-breaking creative here.