Dries Van Noten's Spring 2026 Collection Boosts Color On Sales Floor

Forbes

5 hours ago

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 26: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from ... More Fashion House) A model walks the runway during the Dries Van Noten Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 26, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by)
Fashion can be a pretty dramatic scene, especially when the industry learns of a beloved designer stepping down from his brand or post. Such was the case when Belgian designer Dries Van Noten announced he was stepping down from his namesake label. Not to fear, he warned, he was leaving in charge 33-year-old Julian Klausner, who had worked as the womenswear designer for the brand since 2018.
After a stunning debut for the women's Fall-Winter 2025 collection in March, Klausner debuted his first men's collection for Spring-Summer 2026 this week in Paris, reaffirming the founder's words with another stunning collection. It comes on the heels of the brand's recently opened New York store in Soho, the second US outpost for the label founded in 1986 by its namesake, who was also part of the infamous Antwerp Six designers. While the current merchandise on the selling floor of the new Mercer Street store was the funding designer's last, with two hits so far, Klausner will undoubtedly continue to stock unique designs that resonate across many fashion tribes.
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 26: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from ... More Fashion House) Fashion designer Julian Klausner walks the runway during the Dries Van Noten Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 26, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by)
Given his background for women's designs, it wasn't a complete surprise that Klausner leaned into the more feminine aspect of fashion that has infiltrated men's fashion of late as tastes change. Men become more emboldened and experimental in their dress. This collection offered plenty of color, textures, and patterns, combined like no other brand can, and infused it with new silhouette propositions for guys.
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 26: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from ... More Fashion House) A model walks the runway during the Dries Van Noten Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 26, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by)
To a Lou Reed soundtrack, Klausner set the stage for his show that recalled the archetypal Dries Van Noten wardrobe according to show notes and as 'late night blurs into a morning,' where 'a man in love strolls the beach at dawn, after a party. Shirts unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, the silhouette takes on a new silhouette." This is all to say that the collection exuded a certain ease and informality while being deliberate.
Key highlights in the outing will translate to selling floor intrigue and ostensibly sales in a staid market that needs excitement to churn buying motivation. They include a new proposition of a car coat in a trapeze shape, silk saris tied over pants, extremely embellished bomber jackets and tanks, cummerbunds as a daily proposition, removed from formality, and bike shorts as a colorful layering staple. Shorts, part of an emerging trend, were also prevalent and in various lengths.PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 26: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from ... More Fashion House) A model walks the runway during the Dries Van Noten Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 26, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by)
The true mastery of the brand's and Klausner's interpretations is its ability to mix pattern, color, and texture in bold, inventive ways. Thick Jockey stripes in burgundy, turquoise, and pink combos juxtaposed neutral browns and grey family or paired with a bright Kelly green; large florals in pink and green, black and white, or orange and purple had the brand's Orient mood, while colorful beading styles were paired with a simple topper coat. Satins and a bevy of jacquards and rich knitwear form the fabric base. Accessories had sporty feel in duffle bags and flat sneakers. Several cuts, such as tank tops, boat neck styles, fitted bodice wool suiting tanks, and blouson style tops, thanks to waist sashing, added feminine touches to the men's offering. Given the newness, these styles won't be found in many closets, giving many men a reason to shop.