Dries Van Noten

Born in 1958, Belgian designer Dries Van Noten is the third generation of a line of tailors from Antwerp. He trained at the Royal Academy Of Fine Arts in Antwerp and is a member of the so-called "Antwerp Six", which includes Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee. Dries Van Noten presented his first men's collection in London in 1986 before opening his first store in Antwerp, "Het Modepaleis", the same year. In 1991, he presented his first men's show at the Paris ready-to-wear week and his first women's show two years later. Mixing bohemian and chic, his style stands out for its profusion of ethnic prints and patterns as well as for its contrasts and ornamental character.