Dries Van Noten Men SS26 at Paris Men’s Fashion Week

Dries Van Noten Men SS26 / Spring/Summer 2026 at Paris Men’s Fashion Week

“Approaching this collection, I had in mind the Dries Van Noten wardrobe that I always loved. Traditional yet daring. The different layers of dressing up. A man in love, on a stroll at the beach at dawn, after a party. Shirt unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, the silhouette takes on a new life. I asked myself: What is formal? What is casual? How do these feel? I thought of a tight tie, a double breasted jacket, the weight of an embroidery. But also a paréo around the waist, sand on the feet, a mismatched shoelace, seashells and trinkets as memories on a necklace. This attraction to spontaneous gestures. And, of course, the sound of Lou Reed, Just a summer day, I’m glad to spend it with you.” Julian Klausner

Fade in on a new day. One where a late night blurs into an early morning. Julian Klausner creates his first men’s wear collection for Dries Van Noten as a wardrobe recomposed. A spirited lineup of classic tailoring and youthful style, playing between formal and casual, with lavish embroideries on sporty silhouettes. Piling on, peeling off – the pleasure of recombining. Subversions of elegance feel carefree and liberating. A nuit blanche in vivid colour.

Details of Dries Van Noten Men SS26 / Spring/Summer 2026, Tailoring, subtly merging masculine and feminine constructions, is offset with pieces that are close to the body. Coats in double duchesse satin come bell-shaped with darted sleeves, or box-pleated at the back, and worn over ribbed knit cycle shorts for contrast. New proposals for men’s wear translated from women’s silhouettes include evening tops with boat necklines; wrapped vests over white shirts; and jersey tops with defined waists. Evening looks are unstructured with a dash of flamboyance, as tuxedo jackets are worn with 3/4-length trousers.

Fabrics signal richness in a relaxed register: classic check to bright, glossy satin; cloqué jacquards, two-tone textured jacquards and repurposed jacquards from previous seasons intricately woven in vibrant vertical strips that recall traditional pyjamas. Silky jockey stripes add a fun twist. A range of knit stitches – pointelle, finely ribbed and lace motifs – for textural play. Hook-and-eye closures, covered buttons, and shirt-linings on turned-up sleeves integrate sartorial and couture traditions. Prints appear at various scales, from abstracted all-over florals and distorted dots to smaller two-tone graphics. Motifs converge on sarongs that drape from the waist. Screen-printing introduces an artisanal touch. Colour associations move through bold red and cyan; saturated orange and mauve; fresh green with black, white and khaki, and a grounding grey mélange. Ultra elaborate embroideries come through effortlessly on casual pieces – glistening as drawstring shorts and as a loose tank over a grey jersey base – while panels of intricate embroidery bring a playful flourish to suiting. Sequins burst from grey jersey like confetti. At the centre of it all, the cummerbund. A formal standby, now added to different looks and redefining the waist in saturated hues, ribbed stripes and swirling embroidery.

Accessories of Dries Van Noten Men Spring/Summer 2026 / SS26, Dress shoes in black and reddish leather or stamped croc with sport laces. Signature DVN sneakers return in expanded fabrications and colours – from red suede to paler pastel satin – and as a new, monochromatic variation. Tone-on-tone socks, whether dark or pale, anchor the shorter silhouettes. Bags include the Arch – a compact size with a casual look – and an elongated duffel inspired by the DVN sneakers. Jewellery pieces are imagined like beach charms and personal talismans crafted from sustainably sourced shells suspended with gold wire; abalone fragments hanging from laces. The ring of a lover, worn as a necklace.

Throughout, the music of Lou Reed, whose songs explore hedonism and love, daring encounters and no regrets. Fade out on his eternal fantasy, A Perfect Day.