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Julian Klausner: A new beginning for Dries Van Noten

Last June 23rd, the fashion community felt appalled watching how Dries Van Noten, one of the Antwerp 6, departed from his own company. His last runway represented his fruitful career and reminded us that there is a strong DNA to this brand that can survive without him. Since then, we have been wondering who it was going to replace such an iconic figure in the fashion world. As Luke Leitch commented: «he’s designed his own departure», so we could expect that the choice of his successor was going to be related to him in some way or another. It was clear from the beginning that the person that was going to be selected to occupy such a position was going to be from Belgium, due to the history of the brand and the fact that two of the most important fashion schools in the world are based in Brussels and Antwerp. In addition, opportunities have increased for industry insiders, such as Sabato di Sarno or Matthieu Blazy, speaking of creative director positions.

It was not a surprise that they appointed Julian Klausner as the newest Creative Director for Dries Van Noten. He will lead both the women’s and men’s collections, after spending 6 years designing and developing the women’s collections alongside Dries. According to the press release, he will advance both menswear and womenswear, ensuring that the brand’s distinctive and strong identity remains at the forefront of his vision. He represents a natural connection between the past and the future due to the years spent at the brand. Julian Klausner has said that «he look forward to embarking on new ambitious challenges while honouring the heritage we all cherish».

To learn more about the work of Julian Klausner and understand his design language, I have discovered his graduation collection (MA2) titled «LIGHTS ON – AFTER THE SHOW», a bright, modern and thoughtful collection. It offers a thoughtful and fresh vision of bling bling, where image and desire come together. A subtle blend of stretch and terry fabrics where the backstage mixes with the front of the stage, the young designer offers a silhouette where the woman unwraps herself and gets carried away. Close-up on a creative process where the fantasized idea of ​​the woman is revealed, following his MA1 collection, inspired by the work of Cindy Sherman (he won City of Brussels prize and the Jean-Claude Biguine prize that year). With his MA2 collection he won the Etoile de Bazar Prize that granted him some financial help and the possibility to select one of the 1st or 2nd year and help them with their collection. Also, this prize is the one that allowed me to discover all this information, because Bazar is a belgian magazine and did a full coverage on Julian Klausner story. 

He studied at La Cambre / Ecole Nationale Supéricure des Arts Visuels in Brussels, from 2009-2016, achieving both a Bachelor and Masters in Fashion Design. During his time there he did internships at Thom Browne and Kenzo, incorporating himself after graduating in Maison Margiela as a Junior Designer, until in 2018 he decided to start a position as Womenswear Designer and the rest is history. I would like to add that he was a classmate of Marine Serre, one of the designers who broke through the fashion industry most strongly last decade, with her famous moon print and her sustainability approach to the creation of clothing. Confidence is the word that can wrap up this appointment.  

As Dries Van Noten confirmed in the press release, he was a clear choice to take over after his departure, due to his deep understanding of the brand and its values. The first presentation of Julian Klausner for the brand would be a lookbook for Menswear Winter 2025 in January. After that, he will present his first women’s runway collection as the Creative Director of Dries Van Noten on March 5th, 2025; during Paris Fashion Week. We do not expect anything disruptive, rather a continuation of resolutive and creative designs with an intricate use of colors and prints.

Words: @alraco43