“I’m known for color and prints and embroideries. Normally the more clashing it is, the more that I like it!”
Dries Van Noten, Vogue interview 2007
Yes, this casual looking fellow has designed clothes worn by Queens and movie stars. Born in 1958, Dries Van Noten was one of the “Antwerp Six” collective that debuted their collections in London in the mid-1980s.
The designer is a bundle of contradictions. He is described as the “most cerebral of all designers”. However, he does not design haute couture, instead focusing on ready-to-wear. He doesn’t like the idea of designing clothes that can’t be found in a store. Finding that store may be hard, however, because he doesn’t advertise his clothes.
Below, his 2002 collection.
Cate Blanchett wearing Van Noten in 2020, at the “Stateless” premiere.
Dries Van Noten comes from several generations of tailors, so his designs – elaborate as they are – are known for their precise cut and polished finish. His decorative style, focusing on complex pattern combinations, has periodically fallen in and out of style. However, when he’s hot, he’s very much in style. In 2014 the Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, held an exhibition of his clothes, called “Inspirations”.
The origin of their relationship isn’t known, but Dries Van Noten’s designs have been worn by Mathilde since her princessing days. They have enough of an established relationship that the Queen, wearing a Van Noten design, visited the exhibit when it came to Antwerp.
In September 2019, Queen Mathilde chose a cheerful multi-colored Dries Van Noten print woven in plaid for a visit to the “100 Years Of Childcare” Symposium.
For an appearance at the Marie Curie Civil Hospital, in 2021 the Queen wore a faux wrap cotton dress by Van Noten.
In 2019, the Queen walked into the Christmas Concert at the Royal Palace wearing a dramatic Van Noten number. The flowers on the dress were replicas of blooms from the designer’s own garden, and the pattern was designed to elongate the wearer’s figure.
Last May, the Belgian royal couple made a state visit to Greece. For an evening event at the Acropolis, the Queen chose a Dries Van Noten deep pink gown, embellished with gold accents. This gown was also worn during a visit to India in 2017.
As we know, you can’t keep our colorful Tils away from a floral, and she’s worn several of the designer’s prints over the years.
The love of patterns and an interesting cut is something the Queen and the designer share – I hope to see more of his designs on Queen Mathilde in the future.