Dries Van Noten Is Stepping Down, H&M Picks Rokh As Next Collaborator

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Dries Van Noten exits his namesake brand

It’s truly the end of an era. The beloved Dries Van Noten has announced he’s stepping down from his label after an impactful 38 years. The illustrious Belgian designer, 65, shared the news in a heartfelt letter to the fashion community which was circulated today. The exit will take effect this summer, with his upcoming Spring Summer ’25 menswear show in June set to be his last collection. Van Noten’s decision was rooted in a desire for a new chapter, as he expressed in his letter: “I’m sad, but at the same time happy, to let you know that I will step down… I feel it’s time to leave room for a new generation of talents.” Emphasizing continuity and growth, Van Noten remains optimistic about the brand’s future and ensures fans that he will still be somewhat “involved” for the foreseeable. “The brand is now blooming… like in a garden, you decide what to plant; and at some point, it continues to flourish,” he poignantly stated. An undeniably influential as a designer in his own right and alongside ‘The Antwerp Six’ avant garde creatives (with Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs, and Marina Yee) in the mid-late 1980s, Van Noten sold a majority stake in his company to Spanish fashion and fragrance conglomerate Puig in 2018. A search for a successor is underway and will be revealed in due course.

Dries Van Noten Fall Winter ’24 (IMax Tree)

H&M announces collab with Rokh

Mark your cals—on  April 18, H&M is set to launch a co-designed collection with Rokh, the conceptual label led by Korean designer Rok Hwang. Known for his unconventional take on wardrobe essentials, Hwang, who shows during Paris Fashion Week, brings forth a refreshing collection for the retailer that’s as versatile as it is stylish, featuring everything from multi-layered trench coats to customizable dresses and chic corsets. With an offering that spans across menswear, womenswear, and accessories, this collection promises to inject a dose of experimental elegance into H&M’s lineup. Featuring interactive pieces that can be layered, altered, and even worn backwards, along with some detachable and adjustable elements, like hook-and-eye hems and button-up seams, the collection ensures that every wearer can make the new pieces uniquely their own. Prices range from $39.99 for a t-shirt to $499 for leather outerwear. Get a sense of what’s coming, below:

Nicole Kidman is ELLE’s next cover star 

For the April ‘Impact’ themed issue, ELLE recruited one of the entertainment world’s most well-known actresses, Nicole Kidman—and asked the internet’s most burning question: how she feels about the notoriety of her AMC ad. “My dream will be to be onstage doing it with a drag queen,” she tells Tyler McCall, referring to how the infamous promo for the cinema chain has made its way into pop culture history. “I’ve got to be able to do that at some point.” She adds that as long as the ad, which was born during the pandemic as a bid to get people back to movie theaters, fulfills its purpose, she’d happily reprise her role as a poster girl for theater-goers. “If that’s what it takes, I’ll do whatever it takes,” she says, with a laugh. “We have to have some more ideas for the next one.” The star was styled by Nicola Formichetti and lensed by Mario Sorrenti for the accompanying editorial, as she chats work, life, uplifting female directors, and how she balances her mega-watt fame with passion projects and her more low-key side. Plus! She confirms that she and Reese Witherspoon are indeed already brainstorming for season three of Big Little Lies over text. Alas, she won’t reveal a timeline for when fans of the show can expect its return to screens. Read the profile and see the fashion story here.

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