Julian Klausner’s debut womenswear collection for Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter 2025 unfolded at Paris‘ Opéra Garnier, a stage as opulent as the clothes themselves. The Belgian house, long revered for its artful marriage of intellect and sensuality, embraced its next chapter with a show that honored the legacy of founder Dries Van Noten while quietly asserting Klausner’s vision.
Tactility defined the lineup. A heavy wool coat with whipstitched lapels opened the show, its raw edges mirroring the exposed wires of Van Noten’s former venues-now traded for gilded opera boxes. Devoré velvet dresses slid like a second skin, while trapunto silks traced the contours of the body. Klausner spoke of “playing in the costume box” as a child, and that instinct for transformation surfaced in sarong skirts layered over stirrup pants and scarves knotted into snoods.
Fans will recognize the brand’s DNA: ultraviolet tailoring, arabesque embroidery, and those irreverent contrasts – a sequined blouse paired with utilitarian sailor pants. Yet Klausner’s hand feels looser, more physical. Mohair sweaters fell off the shoulders, silk jacquards pooled at the hips, and crystal-beaded mesh hinted at skin underneath. Even the venue played its part: curtain tassels reappeared as jacket trims, while the gold-leafed grandeur of the opera was echoed in brocade coats.
Not every experiment landed. A maximalist coat with exaggerated proportions bordered on the theatrical, and some styling choices – like clashing prints – tested cohesion. But these missteps felt purposeful, a reminder that Klausner isn’t here to replicate. “I wanted to let my imagination run wild,” he admitted, pointing to airbrushed thistle patterns on outerwear and Eastern-inspired Obu belts.
Dries Van Noten himself was in attendance, applauding a collection that balanced reverence with risk. For longtime devotees, the essentials remain: impeccable trousers, draped blouses, and those little luxuries-a shoelace belt, an embroidered collar-that elevate the mundane. Klausner’s challenge was never to reinvent, but to evolve, and here he has succeeded. The clothes feel lived-in yet luxurious, as if pulled from a trunk of heirlooms and reassembled by someone who knows their weight.
©Photo: Dries Van Noten