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There was a Euphoric Mood at Dries Van Noten’s Rapturous Show: Let’s Get Dressed Up and Throw the Mother of all Parties!

All image and Video Credit Dries Van Noten (Still Photography Rafael Pavarotti and Film Albert Moya) and Paris Fashion Week

A smocked sage green jacket and shaggy multicoloured scarf

Dries Van Noten’s SS 2022 collection has just earned him top spot in this writer’s books for joyousness, vibrancy and unbeatable feel-good factor. Yet again Van Noten pulled a rabbit from a hat and in one foul swoop delivered an offering that was as magical as it was manic, and perfectly captured the mood of the moment. How did he know this was exactly what we all needed right now?

It’s as if Dries Van Noten had squirrelled away all the luscious design bits he could conjure up in his ingenious mind over the past months and saved them all up for one exuberant, extravagant release, a day of painting Paris Fashion Week red. Only, it wasn’t just red, it was an inebriating mix of every delirious combination and permutation under the rainbow, shaken and stirred, with a shiny cherry on top.

It was a show of epic proportions, exquisitely crafted and beautifully captured by filmmaker Albert Moya in Van Noten’s native Antwerp, filmed over three days. To say that this magic carpet ride simply took our breaths away is a gross understatement. A feverish maelstrom of rhinestones and studs, sparkly blood red lips, multi-shaded hair and glittery cerise fingernails cascaded and exploded across our screens, all to the unmistakable soundtrack of Grace Jones, the ultimate vamp and arguably most memorable femme fatale of all times, rasping “This is My Voice, My Weapon of Choice…” and ‘Slave to the Rhythm…” – a throwback straight to the mid-Eighties, a time of hedonistic, sensory and commercial indulgence, a period where excess and pleasure were key.

These are pieces for effervescent dressing up, for clubbing, for Coachella and Burning Man, for Priscilla Queen Of The Desert road trips and Vogue Italia photo shoots, for the disco and for connecting with our inner divas once again after a long period of imposed sobriety. And it feels spot-on, we’re so, so ready for this! The pendulum has swung and we want to see the back end of anything that reminds of practicality and ‘lounging’, grey track bottoms and Tees.

As for the creations that make up this maverick collection, there was much texture, copious quantities of colour and a heady mix of – to quote the designer – “visual fireworks”. There was certainly ample sparkle, shimmer and shine – in the clothes as well as make-up and hair, there was loads of deep saturated colour and pigmented dye-effects, crazy fluffy textures and extraordinary bold shapes typical of the inimitable Belgian maestro. As ever, the textiles were only to be marveled at. One of the ultimate stand-out pieces was an amazing shaggy, psychedelic technicolor (dream)coat that would no doubt have made Joseph’s brothers green with envy.

Historically a key proponent of the art of the runway show, Van Noten famously said at his AW 2021 show he was slowly warming to the idea of pre-recording his shows (the previous season saw him utilizing dancers) instead of the traditional runway to showcase his collections. The way the SS 2022collection had been curated and filmed undoubtedly added another dimension to an already extraordinary collection, it elevated this collection to the highest echelons in any fashion-forward pundit’s books, to a special place somewhere between fashion and art – a multi-faceted experience that, no doubt, will be watched over and over again.

Watch the video of Dries Van Noten’s SS 2022 show here:

It’s befitting to let the images do the rest of the talking, they certainly have much to say!

All we can add to that, is ENJOY!

Kaleidoscopic colours in a belted jacket and shaggy skirt

Rhinestones, shimmer, shine and much glam in this piece with its exaggerated shoulders – as captured from the video of the show

Copious amounts of magic and mojo – beads add texture – as captured from the video of the show

A smocked emerald green coat and tie-dyed effect dustcoat

Green lips add charm to a maverick mix of colours and textures – as captured from the video of the show

Platforms, shapes, shades and surface embellishments made for an eclectic mix

Beaded gloves and a strong silhouette

A shaggy tropical-flavoured ensemble

Ready for unwrapping! Beautiful shapes and extraordinary shades

A sculptural jacket in a well-behaved shade!

Textures and drapes and a feast of shades, all in one

Cerise fingernails and a tropical punch-effect in hair shades

Covered in kilos of rhinestones

Denim gets the Swarovski treatment, nails extend the look!

Ensembles anchored on platforms that make you jump for joy!

A bulbous shape to further accentuate the stunning fabric

A strong and bold shape statement

An exquisite wrap dress in a firework of colours

The simplistic mixed with the ornate – and it works a treat! – as captured from the video of the show

An explosion of colour at the sleeve of this midnight blue Eighties-inspired dress

Psychedelia rules! Shaggy layers of exotic colours

A leaf green textured coat colour blocked with acid orange and midnight blue – perfection! As captured from the video of the show

Extraordinary shades of violet, lavender and inky sky in this ensemble

A strong, classic shape in this striking dress

A wrap dress and shirt and skirt ensemble have much synergy

Teal, petrol and leaf green – fabulous proportions in the layering

Shapely colour-blocking

Shaggy delight

Brocade, beading and tie-dye-effects

A chartreuse, cerise, sage and tangerine feast for the eye

And repeat … an eclectic symphony

Statuesque beauty in this pastel-hued sheath

Saturated shades and lavishly textured textiles in this coat

Perfect for an Eighties-themed flapper party!

Bold dye-effects – not for a shrinking violet!

Knitwear gets the floral dyed treatment

Exuberance and eclecticism in one

Shapely sleeves and a Fifties-inspired silhouette

Sleek and dramatic

Fishnet beading adds texture

Models’ hair mimicked the vibrancy of the outfits

Green was one of the key colours of this SS 2022 collection, here styled with salmon pink

Crushed passionfruit springs to mind!

Rainbow shades and a mix of textiles

Here’s to partying the night away!