Roughly a decade ago, South Korean photographer Ahae mounted exhibitions in Paris and New York showcasing the best of the 1 million photos he took through one window of his house over a two-year period. It was a testament to how much beauty can be found nearby.
While sheltering in place amid the coronavirus outbreak, Dries Van Noten decided to shine the spotlight on Antwerp: its postcard-perfect squares and quaint outdoor cafés, but also its more questionable modern architecture and touristy beer vendors.
It marks the first time the designer, one of the original Antwerp Six, has based an entire collection on his hometown, paying homage primarily via photo prints that were culled from the camera rolls of his employees, along with old maps and prints by Peter Paul Rubens and Pieter Bruegel provided by The Plantin-Moretus Museum. Dedicated to printing, it’s one of the designer’s favorite local spots. There’s also an “A” monogram that was used as a logo for the Belgian city in the 1970s.
Van Noten said his freewheeling mix of tailoring and casual items are also a reflection of the diversity of Antwerp, which shelters people from 186 different nationalities.
“It’s an open-minded city,” he enthused over Zoom.
Van Noten confessed his love for the towering cranes that line its ports, some of them hundreds of years old — not only tools for “unloading elements into the world into the city,” but beacons for its connectivity. Some find the cranes as majestic and characteristic of Antwerp as its cathedrals, while others might see a darker, spookier side in their faint resemblance to spiders as depicted by sculptor Louise Bourgeois, the designer mused.
Turns out black-and-white photos of the cranes look terrific on camp shirts, glazed raincoats and airy knits, which Van Noten dabbed with color and graphic stripes or chevrons.
Feather-light silk suits, shorts and rugged utility shirts came oversize and slouchy, and puffy sandals heightened the nonchalance of the ensembles. Van Noten was adamant about avoiding any specific fashion diktat.
“I think once people regain their freedom, they really want to also have the freedom to dress the way they want to dress,” he said.
With this confident and diverse collection, they might feel compelled to don some breezy Dries outfit, head out for a stroll and fall in love with their city all over again.
