A LIFE OF FASHION

In an extensive conversation, the menswear icon discusses his rise, his mistakes, his triumphs, his retirement, and what the future holds for him and his beloved brand.

- SAMUEL HINE

Approximately 36 hours after Dries Van Noten waved goodbye at the closing of his last-ever runway show, the legendary Belgian fashion designer is sitting in his sunny showroom in Paris. It's another Monday morning at the office, with chicly dressed employees clacking away at computers. Wearing his signature navy jumper with khakis and tan leather shoes, the 66-year-old is brisk and well-rested. "I slept last night, which was not the case the nights before," he says with a smile.

As we settle in for a wide-ranging discussion about his menswear legacy, his thoughts about the fashion industry, and his future plans, Van Noten starts telling me, almost by reflex, about how he had to split the footwear collection that lines the shelves around us into two parts, something to do with their Italian footwear supplier. "I have to say," I tell him, "you don't seem very retired yet."

Van Noten made headlines earlier this year when he announced his decision to step back from the day-to-day grind of designing four runway collections a year. In this profession, designers don't tend to know when or how to make a graceful exit. But the clearsighted Van Noten has always done things on his own terms.

His grand finale took place in front of 800-plus friends, fans, customers, admirers, and peers, including several fellow members of the Antwerp Six, the group of Belgian fashion designers who graduated from the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1981 and proceeded to take the industry by storm. (The crew of longtime friends includes Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, and Marina Yee. Martin Margiela is often considered the seventh member.)