Dries van Noten

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Dries van Noten (1958-) is a Belgian fashion designer. He was born into a family of tailors; his father owned a menswear shop and his grandfather was a tailor. He studied at the Antwerp Fashion Academy where he graduated in 1980. His career as a designer took off in 1986 when he presented his first menswear collection in London, together with five other Belgian designers ("The Antwerp Six"). He currently creates four collections a year (men's and women's, both for summer and winter) and used to have a children's line (no longer in production).

His work is characterised by a creative use of prints (often ethnic), colours, original fabrics and layering. He has a passionate and faithful following despite the fact he does not advertise.

Dries Van Noten works and lives in Antwerp. He has several shops, the first one being "Het Modepaleis" which opened in Antwerp in 1989, followed by shops in Hong Kong and Tokyo. He sells to around 500 shops around the world; his company is entirely self-financed.

In 2008, van Noten won the prestigious International Award of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. That same year, he dressed Australian actress Cate Blanchett for the Academy Awards.