Dries Van Noten at his exhibition, “Inspirations” | Photo Erin Baiano for The New York Times
A spectacular new exhibition, “Dries Van Noten: Curating Inspiration” at Arts Décoratifs in Paris is the first museum event to chronicle the Belgian designer’s nearly 30-year career. It is peculiar in the fact that not only Van Noten’s work is displayed, but also the inspiration behind it – from Schiaparelli’s designs to Cecil Beaton’s photographs and the iconic Iris Apfel’s jewelry – spanning across cultures and generations. In that, it reminds us of “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” at the Met, which set a new standard for visual storytelling. The lines between inspiration and final objects are blurred in the utmost visionary way, and the exhibition becomes one story – the Dries Van Noten story of creativity – transcending fashion. According to the exhibit’s curator Pamela Goblin, “it was never meant to be a retrospective, nor a fashion exhibition, nor art. It is about creativity.”
Credit Guia Besana for The New York Times
Credit Guia Besana for The New York Times
Credit Guia Besana for The New York Times
“Dries Van Noten: Inspirations”, sponsored by Barneys New York (the first retailer to bring Dries Van Noten to the US in 1986) is on display at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris through Aug. 31, 2014.
