Going back to the days before the pandemic, Dries Van Noten was showing in raw, under-construction spaces, with concrete floors and exposed wires. Today, the clearest sign that Julian Klausner was ready to strike out on his own was the change of venue for his introduction at the brand: the paneled, mirrored and chandeliered halls of the Opéra Garnier.
Klausner, who was named creative director in early December, following Van Noten’s retirement, has spent six years at the Belgian label and has learned by doing. The mission for him is different from that of the week’s other designers with debuts. He isn’t righting the wrongs of an interim guy to get the company back on track, as is Haider Ackermann’s task at Tom Ford. And he’s not going back to the beginning, as Sarah Burton has opted to do at Givenchy. Klausner has taken over the reins for one of fashion’s insider favorites, a maker of exceptional clothes for real life, recognizable on the runway and in the front rows. In many ways, he has the hardest job of them all, because of the industry’s affection for Van Noten and because he’s untested in this kind of leadership role.
At a preview the day before the show, with activity all around him, Klausner synthesized his ambition for this show with incisive precision: “I wanted to let my imagination go a bit and I wanted to go kind of strong with some pieces. But I always had in mind it’s about a wardrobe, and these pieces should exist in real life, and there should be flexibility to how you wear them.”
As the show unfolded you got the uncanny sensation that what we were seeing was both Dries and not Dries. The interplay of prints and textures and embroideries? Yes. The emphasis on elaborate draping over more classic sportswear shapes? Less so. Klausner noted that the brand selected the Opéra location early and that it informed the collection. “I’ve always loved the stage,” he said, “and then also, for the first show, I had this idea of a curtain opening. It was really kind of special and comfortable to have that venue in mind the whole time; from the get-go, we could imagine everything within the context of the Opéra.”
The setting gave Klausner the tassel details that decorated a bolero jacket and a sleeveless dress, among other things. Here and there they were a little heavily applied, a quality that can be ascribed to some of the other styling touches, as well. But many other elements of this collection he got right: the way the upturned lapels on jackets flashed white, how the ombré plaids channeled an iconic circa 2013 grunge redux show of Van Noten’s, the relaxed fit of the tie silk pantsuit with the crystal embroidered pants, the embroidery on the collar of a tapestry coat. Van Noten turned up today to demonstrate his support. Klausner clearly understands this brand and there was nothing tentative about this beginning. That in and of itself is promising.
