The long wait is over: six months after beloved designer Dries Van Noten presented his last collection, his eponymous house has appointed Julian Klausner as creative director – in charge of women’s and men’s collections. The 33-year-old Belgian designer, who has worked alongside Dries Van Noten on the women’s collections since 2018, “represents a natural connection between the past and the future”, the house said in a statement on Monday.
“I have complete confidence in Julian’s creativity and vision,” Dries Van Noten added. “He is not only a talented designer but also a clear choice to take over after my departure. His deep understanding of the brand and its values will ensure a seamless transition and a bright future,” he added.
By promoting from within and choosing a relatively young Belgian designer, the Puig-owned house shows it values continuity over disruption. After graduating in fashion design from Brussels’s renowned visual arts school La Cambre in 2016, Klausner began his career as a junior designer at Maison Margiela before joining Dries Van Noten in August 2018 as womenswear designer. He now has big shoes to fill.
A member of the Antwerp Six collective, Van Noten launched his men’s line in Antwerp in 1986 and, in 1993, brought his brand, with the addition of a womenswear line, to the Paris runways. “I’m known for colour and prints and embroideries,” he told Vogue in 2007. “Normally the more clashing it is, the more that I like it.”
In 2018, Van Noten sold a majority stake to the Spanish beauty and fashion conglomerate Puig (which began trading as a listed company in May 2024) but continued his role as chief creative officer. In 2022, the designer launched his first beauty line under Puig. In June 2024, after a final celebratory show for a crowd that included many other fashion designers and journalists, he stepped down from day-to-day operations. The spring/summer 2025 women’s collect ion presented in September 2024 was designed by the house’s studio. Van Noten sat front row, however, a little hidden, closer to backstage, as he didn’t want his presence to overshadow the work of his colleagues.
Reflecting on the evolution of the role of a creative director in an interview with Vogue Business back in June, he said that designing for Dries Van Noten “is not like a job where you can do just the big lines. It’s very hands on. It’s somebody who really breathes the love for garments and beauty, really enjoys being busy with fabrics and all those things – not somebody who thinks about marketing”. Having spent a significant part of his career at the house, Klausner will have experienced those values firsthand.
