Dries Van Noten Has Us Blue Sky Dreaming For Spring/Summer 2021

Belgian designer Dries Van Noten never wanted to stage a restricted runway show in the midst of a global pandemic. But his digital presentation for Paris Fashion Week, rich with texture and movement, is the next best thing.

In a photoshoot and film captured by Dutch photographer Viviane Sassen, sapphire blue skies dotted with marshmallow clouds form a backdrop to cool and creative fashion: printed parkas; slick netted skirts; billowing sleeves; swimsuits splashed with watercolour and gleaming metallic anoraks. There’s beauty in the simplicity, but look closer, and there’s nothing simple about this line.

The early 20^th-century works of avant-garde Kiwi filmmaker Len Lye inspired the collection, and the film features projections of his moody moving pictures. It’s like a psychedelic rave, as coats and dresses dance in the technicolour light. Not quite a tactile, real-life experience, but a testament to Van Noten’s status as one of fashion’s greatest showmen.