The drones of a bass guitar kicked off the Dries Van Noten show today, the chords reverberating around the vast industrial space that is Paris's Halle Freysinnet. This being Dries van Noten, though, the soloist was Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood -- not bad for a Wednesday afternoon.
Greenwood happily jammed away, unfazed by the models stalking past him wearing Van Noten’s vision for spring 2014: one that was characteristically arresting though in parts a little staid (for van Noten, at least). The sleeveless tuxedo, the ruffles, and the housecoat we’ve seen before were elevated this season with new prints -- florals, stars, and barbed wire -- to add a little edge. The color combination of cream, ecru, russet, black, and the brightest gold felt fresh as well, especially in some of the earlier looks, and the accessories were playful, particular the wacky star necklaces and the John Lennon-inspired sunglasses.
Eclecticism is unequivocally van Noten’s calling card, and he amped that up for Spring by juxtaposing fabrics, textures, prints, and embellishments including the gilded micro beaded gold lace and embroidered folk motifs. The handiwork on many of the garments was remarkable -- one piece encompassed 16 meters of ruffled, feather-light silk -- and in typical Van Noten style, he made it work with such ease.