Dries Van Noten after Dries The first show after the founder's retirement is a hit but we have notes

When Dries Van Noten announced his departure from fashion last March, he was keen to clarify that he was not retiring but would remain, as chairman of the brand's board of directors, a close presence to the design team, which, pending the appointment of a new creative director, collectively signed the brand's SS25 collection presented yesterday in Paris. A highly anticipated show, whose outcome many were eager to see to understand how well the brand could survive without its founder – the answer is: very well. We don’t know exactly how much of a role Van Noten played in overseeing the work, or if he had any role at all, but the brand certainly seems to be in good hands for now. This collection certainly fits within the trajectory of greater conformity that has characterized the brand's collections since 2022, which, when the founder was still present, were bolder in exploring proportions and more visionary combinations, while the one presented today in Paris, though beautiful, appeared more linear and disciplined in terms of styling, lacking the hybridizations, idiosyncratic pairings, and often altered proportions that gave the brand its avant-garde sharpness. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. If what we define as the avant-garde sharpness of Dries Van Noten has partially diminished, the brand's fundamental romanticism, the vividness of colors and prints, that sense of imaginative exoticism and unexpected combinations remain intact. In short, the taste of the brand and its founder are still one and the same, his absence is felt in the greater comprehensibility of the looks, which in the past appeared more layered and architectural.

Among the negative points, there are some color combinations that are not quite right, especially with regard to the orange lace that emerges from certain necklines in the form of a semi-transparent bra-top, perhaps the least convincing element of the collection, as well as some of the more monochromatic looks, particularly the beige ones and the two sack dresses, which appear more generic in their conception. Another noticeable aspect is the abnormal presence of bags, along with styling that at times seems to nod to certain trends seen in numerous shows this season (we refer both to the contrasting lace hems used by almost all Kering brands and to the blazers paired with shorts), likely driven by a desire to expand the brand's appeal to younger audiences than usual. A particular pale pink suit decorated with a subtle floral pattern, with its two pieces appearing separately in two different looks, seems unnecessarily heavy and too large for the model wearing it. But it’s clear that, with Van Noten gone, some things about the brand would inevitably change. Certainly, moving forward, the best path will be to maintain the designer's approach without reducing his aesthetic to a set of simple stylistic tropes—something that did not happen yesterday but remains a potential risk, considering the brand is now in the hands of an ambitious luxury group. Despite everything, and considering the extraordinary competence of the design team that produced a collection that does not feel as transitional as it could have (think of Givenchy’s team collections), only one question remains: who will be Van Noten’s successor?