LONDON — It was never meant to be a farewell collection, but there it is. Mytheresa is saying auf Wiedersehen, or goodbye in English, to Dries Van Noten with an exclusive summer capsule that will launch on Wednesday.
The 25-piece summer collection is awash in color and print, and is Van Noten’s last collaboration with an e-commerce partner. It will be released two months before the designer’s final show in Paris in June.
As first reported by WWD, the Belgian designer confirmed he is stepping down after nearly four decades in fashion — and a glorious, slow-building fashion career.
His last show as creative director of his namesake house will be for the men’s spring 2025 season and will take place during Paris Fashion Week.
The Mytheresa collection nods to days spent by the sea, with two-tone geometric and floral motifs printed in vibrant shades on boxy tops, pencil skirts, breezy dresses and languid suits.
A look from the Dries Van Noten x Mytheresa summer capsule collection.
In an interview, Mytheresa chief executive officer Michael Kliger said the capsule was well underway before he and the team learned that Van Noten was planning to retire.
“It’s not that we sensed a special moment coming. The driver for this collection was just a desire to build on the great partnership that we’ve had with Dries over the past years,” Kliger said.
Mytheresa has done many collaborations over the years with Van Noten for men’s and women’s collections. The most recent one was two years ago when the retailer did an event in Antwerp, Belgium, Van Noten’s hometown.
“We have a tradition of doing Dries capsules for the early summer. He is a master of prints, and we love his colorful fabrics. He is always very generous, and dedicates the time to do something for us. Now, there’s an added excitement because this is one of his last collections — and it’s beautiful,” Kliger said.
A look from the Dries Van Noten x Mytheresa summer capsule collection.
Kliger said Dries Van Noten resonates particularly with Mytheresa’s customers in the U.S. and Europe, and said they cannot get enough of the prints.
“The last capsule was inspired by fireworks that Dries witnessed at an Indian festival. This time the prints are more geometrical. He’s both a designer, and a fabric designer. Is it quiet luxury? No. Is it fashion forward? No. In a way, Dries is his own category,” Kliger said.
Van Noten said his partnership with Mytheresa has grown stronger over the years.
“This new, exclusive capsule collection was a natural continuation of our collaboration. We focused on bicolor, geometrical motifs, giving a new approach to floral prints. We played with patterns and colors to create a range of separates and dresses. This eclectic range of prints and possibilities offers an opportunity to mix and match the different pieces for more casual or formal outfits,” Van Noten added.
A look from the Dries Van Noten x Mytheresa summer capsule collection.
The capsule will prelaunch exclusively on Mytheresa and on driesvannoten.com as well as in Dries Van Noten stores from Wednesday within a dedicated editorial story directed by Mytheresa chief creative officer Julian Paul. The story was photographed by Christian Colomer and features model Aiden Curtiss.
As reported, the hunt is on for Van Noten’s successor.
“In due time, we will announce the designer who will continue the story,” Van Noten said in a statement last month. “I have been preparing for this moment for a while, and I feel it’s time to leave room for a new generation of talents to bring their vision to the brand.”
Synonymous with ravishing colors, striking prints and dignified dressing tinged with exotic details, Van Noten had already forged a succession roadmap when he sold a majority stake in his Antwerp-based house to Puig in 2018.
Last month, following Van Noten’s bombshell announcement, Kliger said the designer had built a unique brand with very strong codes. “And, even more impressively, he has built a company with a unique ethos and culture. He leaves an amazing legacy, and will be missed,” Kliger said.