Van Notenstepped down last Marchafter 30 years.
I was able to know about the venue really early on in the process, which doesnt always happen.
When I first fell in love with fashion, it was as a child with the costume box.
Julian Klausner
Im the youngest of four kids, so I had a very full and diverse costume box.
As he steps into Van Notens shoes, its clear he learned a lot from his mentor.
Born in Antwerp, Klausner grew up in Brussels.
A close up of Klausner’s debut collection.
I was really a sponge.
It was the time ofStyle.com, and I was just trying to take it all in, he says.
Then, he was introduced to the universe of Dries Van Noten.
“Dries was never afraid of aesthetic disruption," said Klausner. “Bringing in a different story season after season is very much a part of the DNA here.”
I came to the Dries Van Noten store in Antwerp in my teenage years.
Thats when I really started to think theres something Im really attracted to here.
A close up of Klausners debut collection.
“And then at a certain moment I said: ‘OK guys, we cannot do only things that Dries said no to,’” said Klausner of working with the design studio on their first collection after Van Noten’s departure.
In 2018, Klausner heard from a friend that Van Noten was looking for a womenswear designer.
It was always very mysterious as a house.
Even though Im from Belgium, I never knew anybody who worked here.
Texture close ups.
I always heard that people worked there for many years, he explains.
(The knitwear designer, for instance, has been working there for 28 years.)
Klausner was intrigued by the opportunity and charmed when he met the founder and his partner Patrick Vangheluwe.
Texture close ups.
I liked the office and I liked the atmosphere.
I said, OK, lets do it.
Seven years after he joined, Van Noten decided it was time to retire.
Finishing touches.
I barely had to think about it for a few seconds before saying yes, he recalls.
Then, Klausner went through a proper process.
Im really excited to see some of the things that I was thinking of come to life.
A look backstage.
It was also about moving from being a colleague to being the one who leads the way.
I was open to any kind of reaction [from the team].
Im very grateful for their support.
The invitation to the fall 2025 Dries Van Noten show by Julian Klausner.
They have taken me on board in a great way.
When Dries stepped down, there were of course interrogations, doubts about what could happen.
Since being promoted, Klausner says he looks at the bigger picture.
He assumes responsibility for womenswear and, for the first time, hell design menswear, too.
Now that Klausner oversees the brand image, hes eager to evolve digital communications.
He is taking over at a challenging time fashion is facing adownturn.
Dries was never afraid of aesthetic disruption," said Klausner.
Bringing in a different story season after season is very much a part of the DNA here.
Like in all successions, theres the question of where to position the cursor between aesthetic continuation and disruption.
Klausner is unfazed: Dries was never afraid of aesthetic disruption.
He was always encouraging us to propose something unexpected, to challenge him with a certain direction.
Bringing in a different story season after season is very much a part of the DNA here.
He also stresses the interaction between mens and womens collections.
Sometimes, they balance each other out; sometimes, they influence each other.
The spring 2025 show in September was done by the studio, including Klausner as head of womenswear.
Its fitting: Klausner loves theater, dance, performance and exhibitions.
Its always a source of inspiration.
A lot of what I do ultimately is somehow linked to my work.
But I like to cook.
The job didnt come with a garden.
Before his debut show, Van Noten offered Klausner a key piece of advice: Enjoy it.
So enjoy and attempt to stay calm and stay focused.
The invitation to the fall 2025 Dries Van Noten show by Julian Klausner.
