TIMELINE

1981

Dries Van Noten graduates from the Fashion Design Course at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Belgium

1986

Dries Van Noten debuts his first menswear collection, which is soon stocked in Barneys New York and Whistles in London

1987

Dries’ partner Patrick Vangheluwe joins the company

1989

The first flagship store opens in Antwerp at ‘Het Modepaleis’ a historic former menswear store

1991

Dries Van Noten makes his debut at part of Paris Fashion Week with his menswear SS92 collection

1993

The first womenswear SS94 Show in Paris. Ever since, Dries stages two womenswear and two menswear shows each year

1997

Opening of the Hong Kong Flagship store with Joyce

2004

Dries Van Noten marks his 50th show with a dinner for 500 at one long table which afterwards becomes the catwalk

2007

The House opens its Paris flagship for the women’s collections on 7, Quai Malaquais

2008

Dries Van Noten wins the ‘International Designer of the Year Award’ from the CFDA and receives the title ‘Royal Designer for Industry’ an acknowledgement from the Royal Society of Arts, in London

2009

Opening of the flagship store in Tokyo with Tomorrowland, as well as a standalone men’s store near the women’s at 9, Quai Malaquais, in Paris
Dries is honoured with numerous awards: an induction into the ‘Galerie des Eminents’ by the Flemish Chamber of Commerce, ‘The gold medal’ from the Flemish Royal Academy of Belgium and the ‘Award for Artistry of Fashion’ given by the Couture Council of the Museum at FIT in New York

2014

The Musée Des Arts Décoratifs in Paris unveils ‘Inspirations,’ an exhibition exploring the inspirations behind Dries Van Noten’s collections, in addition to a book of the same name
It marks the first show by a Belgian designer in the museum’s history. This exhibition then travels to the MoMu in Antwerp

2015

France honours Dries Van Noten with the Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

2017

The Dries documentary debuts, an insight into the designer’s life and work by filmmaker Reiner Holzemer
The King of Belgium appoints Dries Van Noten a Baron in recognition of his enrichment to cultural life in his home country
To coincide with his 100th show, a special book to mark the occasion titled Dries Van Noten 1-100 is released

2018

Puig becomes the majority shareholder in the company

2019

Dries Van Noten collaborates with couturier Christian Lacroix on his spring/summer womenswear collection

2020

Expansion in mainland China sees the opening of a store in Shanghai, followed by Chengdu in 2022
The first flagship store in the US opens, an 800m² store on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles with a designated gallery space, called The Little House

2022

Dries Van Noten launches beauty, with 12 gender fluid fragrances, 30 lipsticks in refillable packaging and a range of accessories
Tatler UK names the Dries Van Noten lipstick “Best Design” of the year
Selfridges elects Dries Van Noten Refillable Fragrance and Lipstick as one of the year’s
standout products
WWD names Dries Van Noten Eaux de Parfums as “Product of the Year” in the fragrance category

2023

Opening of the Galerie Quai Malaquais in Paris devoted exclusively to fragrance, beauty and accessories
Dries Van Noten receives the ‘Designer of the Year for both his women’s and men’s collections’ award from WWD
The brand wins Elle Belgium’s Beauty Award “Must-have” Dries Van Noten, Soie Malaquais is awarded best “Design & Packaging” at the Fragrance Foundation UK

2024

In June 2024 Dries Van Noten presents his last collection for the House
He steps down as Creative Director but is still involved in the House.

In December, Julian Klausner has been appointed Creative Director. He will lead both the women’s and men’s collection.

Dries Van Noten Visual featuring SH01 081 V4

JULIAN KLAUSNER

Born in Belgium, Julian Klausner’s deep interest for fashion began early, leading him to study at La Cambre in Brussels, where he built a strong foundation in design and creative direction in both men's and womenswear. This education prepared him to navigate the complexities of contemporary fashion and set him on a career path shaped by hands-on experience in some of the industry’s most influential studios. Since joining Dries Van Noten in 2018, Julian has taken on pivotal roles that have shaped the brand’s creative direction. Over time, Julian became a trusted partner to Dries as head of womenswear studio, fostering a motivated and cohesive team. He presented his first women’s runway collection as Creative Director on March 5th, 2025 in Paris. That same year, he was honored Designer of the Year at the Belgian Fashion Awards. Since then, Julian Klausner’s vision has become a living continuation of the house’s heritage, honoring its legacy while reinterpreting its codes through innovation and craftsmanship.

DRIES VAN NOTEN

Born in Belgium, Dries Van Noten is a third-generation tailor. He studied fashion design at Antwerp's Royal Academy and launched his first menswear collection in 1986. Over the decades he has presented biannual collections for men and women, achieving significant milestones with his 50th and 100th fashion shows in 2004 and 2017, respectively. In 2008, the Council of Fashion Designers of America named him International Designer of the Year. His retrospective exhibition, Inspirations, debuted at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2014 and later traveled to Antwerp in 2015. That same year, he was honored as an Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France and received Antwerp’s Culture Award in 2016. In 2023, he was named Designer of the Year by WWD for both his women’s and men’s collections.

In 2018, PUIG acquired a majority stake in his company, with Dries Van Noten remaining as chief creative officer. Notable highlights include a celebrated 2019 collaboration with Christian Lacroix for the Women’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection.

In June 2024, Dries Van Noten presented his final collection as Creative Director of the House. Although stepping down from the role, he continues to contribute to the brand. In April 2026 he opened the Fondazione Dries Van Noten, housed in Palazzo Pisani Moretta in Venice, inaugurating its first presentation, “The Only True Protest Is Beauty,” during the Biennale.