Dries Van Noten Spring 2012 Runway Review

In a season with a sea of flashy colors and prints, Dries Van Noten has opted to push more understated 50s and 60s-style looks (he was inspired by Spanish and Italian couture from those decades) along with the menswear-inspired shapes (think sculpted voluminous separates and loosely draped trousers) that we’re used to seeing from the designer. It’s typically his prints that stand out and this season was no different with its myriad of mesmerizing landscape and cityscape prints, often seemingly collaged together. The designer told Vogue that he wanted to “use prints that weren’t meant to be printed on fabric […] Specifically eighteenth-century botanical etchings and nightscape images by photographer James Reeve, whom the designer met while he was judging the Hyères Festival of Fashion & Photography.”

Notes of saturated separates and unique touches like peplum-finished trousers, a peplum vest, and embroidered boleros rounded out the collection that perfectly balanced retro and modern styles.

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