Ensemble thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Ensemble

2012 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Belgian fashion designer Dries van Noten first came to prominence in the late 1980s as one of a group of designers referred to as ‘the Antwerp Six’. (These designers were all graduates of the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts who first received acclaim when they came together to show their collections in London in 1986). Whilst the work of his contemporaries and indeed Belgian fashion in general, is often seen as dark and experimental, Van Noten’s work stands apart with its use of colours, embroideries, prints and wearable shapes. His designs are known for their layered combinations of mismatched prints and unusual colourways. Dries van Noten’s business is an unusual model within the fashion world as the company is entirely self-financed and does not use advertising, his success is due to the strength of his unique design aesthetic which has garnered a strong following

As part of his research for his Autumn/Winter 2012 collection, Van Noten came to the V&A to look at Chinese, Japanese and Korean textiles and garments held in the Asia department. Motifs and details of the textiles were then incorporated into his new collection, reworked as prints in different scales with abstracted settings and placements. Presented in Paris fashion week in February 2012, the accompanying show notes referred to the designer’s research at the V&A. Fashion journalist Tim Blanks commented on the collection, ‘Dries has a habit of pulling off such special effects, where an enormous amount of research yields a result that appears gracefully effortless’ .


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Blazer
  • Dress
Materials and techniques
printed wool and silk
Brief description
Ensemble, printed wool blazer and printed silk dress, Dries Van Noten, look21, A/W 2012
Physical description
Cream wool blazer and black silk dress both printed with motifs from Chinese embroidered robes.
Dimensions
  • Width: 40cm (Blaze, shoulder to shoulder)
  • Length: 77cm (Blazer, shoulder to hem)
  • Width: 33cm (Dress, shoulder to shoulder)
  • Length: 131cm (Dress, shoulder to hem)
Credit line
Given by Dries Van Noten
Summary
Belgian fashion designer Dries van Noten first came to prominence in the late 1980s as one of a group of designers referred to as ‘the Antwerp Six’. (These designers were all graduates of the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts who first received acclaim when they came together to show their collections in London in 1986). Whilst the work of his contemporaries and indeed Belgian fashion in general, is often seen as dark and experimental, Van Noten’s work stands apart with its use of colours, embroideries, prints and wearable shapes. His designs are known for their layered combinations of mismatched prints and unusual colourways. Dries van Noten’s business is an unusual model within the fashion world as the company is entirely self-financed and does not use advertising, his success is due to the strength of his unique design aesthetic which has garnered a strong following

As part of his research for his Autumn/Winter 2012 collection, Van Noten came to the V&A to look at Chinese, Japanese and Korean textiles and garments held in the Asia department. Motifs and details of the textiles were then incorporated into his new collection, reworked as prints in different scales with abstracted settings and placements. Presented in Paris fashion week in February 2012, the accompanying show notes referred to the designer’s research at the V&A. Fashion journalist Tim Blanks commented on the collection, ‘Dries has a habit of pulling off such special effects, where an enormous amount of research yields a result that appears gracefully effortless’ .
Collection
Accession number
T.69:1,2-2014

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Record createdMay 11, 2015
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