The visual language of Dries Van Noten has always involved risk taking. From pattern to color clashing, the Belgian brand successively manages to bring together seemingly abstract designs in ways that work—and this has become its signature.

While he has worked with the brand since 2018, this month marks the one-year anniversary of Julian Klausner’s debut collection as Creative Director. For his latest collection, he gathered inspiration from a mix of specific sources, including the famed Parisian school, Lycée Carnot. He focused on the special duality of this educational window of time as students, where each of us are “works in progress,” according to the designer. The energy of reminiscing about youthful times, “the transient moment that leads from youth to adulthood,” appears in the collection through school-inspired blazers with crests styled in ways that deliver a sophisticated twist. The incorporation of plaid felt traditional while the styling of it was fresh and modern. Pixalated prints also reflected this process of moving between states of being before coming into focus. 

Klausner was also influenced by two specific Flemish still-life paintings from the seventeenth century. These are “Two Peaches and a Butterfly on a Stone Plinth” and “Flowers and Insects”. The details found within these served as inspiration for print designs and the objects’ symbolism played a special part, as well. Embellishments and metallic details added luxurious elements that are a part of the house’s signature style. For the AW26 collection, Julian Krasner continued to succeed in showcasing the visual language of the house in his way.