Dries Van Noten is already a veteran in his own right with a fierce cult following, but at his Paris Fashion Week runway show on Wednesday, he revealed a surprise collaboration with fashion legend Christian Lacroix that took his spring ’20 collection to a whole new level.
The show’s seating gave the first clue. A rose with the label “DVN*XCLX” was placed on each seat — a nod to the roses that were typically thrown at Lacroix’s shows.
The collection was a perfect mix of both designers, who collaborated in secret for about five months to create the fanciful pieces. They included voluminous coats in a graphic black-and-white motif tinged with rose and wild floral prints, which were masterfully mixed with other prints like an abstract zebra in grayscale or rich ikat patterns.
Van Noten continued his run on platforms from fall ‘19, outfitting the entire spring ‘20 collection in them. There were massive leopard print boots, mixed media floral brocades and a series of elevated shoes done in Lacroix’s signature hot pink. They included a two-strap sandal, another big bootie, and even a platform thong sandal. The hue appeared throughout the collection, giving it an immediate Lacroix feel.
The final look was a bridal confection — another nod to Lacroix’s legendary shows — that included a formal see-through organza and feather dress overlaying a casual white tank and trousers; a white feather headpiece and gold platform boots kept the ensemble in the Van Noten realm. The two designers took a bow with their bride to massive applause.
Lacroix has not been designing under his name since 2009, when he stopped showing his couture collections and his namesake was sold. Since then, he has been using collaborations, like this one with Van Noten, to continue his creative vision.
See more styles on the runway at Dries Van Noten’s spring 2020 Paris Fashion Week show.
