Belgian designer Dries Van Noten has long established his label as an ode to creative and vibrant combinations. A master of colour and print juxtaposition, his ready-to-wear collections are sought after by those that admire their refined shapes contrasted with bold and dramatic – but still incredibly chic – prints.
Now the creative has bought that fondness for unlikely pairings to a new beauty line that includes a range of 10 gender-fluid eau de parfums and 30 lipsticks created in collaboration with Puig, the Spanish beauty and fashion conglomerate.
Not content for a simple toe-dip into the new category, the debut beauty offering also includes a selection of hand creams, bar soaps, and a travel pouch as well as beauty accessories such as resin mirrors, pochettes and combs.
Made from at least 85% natural ingredients, the perfume collection comes with refillable and collectible cases that are made with recycled materials and different glass and porcelain prints.
Similarly, the lipstick collection consisting of sheer, satin and matte finishes is housed in collectible and refillable cases in contrasting top and bottoms made from the likes of ceramic and embossed leather.
Van Noten told Vogue he didn’t want “easygoing” perfumes. “I think there’s already so much out there in the market. The idea was that every perfume really tells a story—in my fashion, I’m also a storyteller.”
Instead expect contrasting elements that create something entirely new. He worked with different perfumers to create the collection that includes ‘rebellious and flamboyant’ Raving Rose, that combines the bloom with pink and black pepper, ‘wild and sensitive’ Cannabis Patchouli, clashing green and woody notes, and ‘elaborate and seductive’ Soie Malaquais that has elements of chestnut and silk.
Makeup has also had a key role in the label’s presentations and so lipstick was the perfect beauty fit. Noten told WWD he had embraced ‘the possibilities you have to create things and to change the look of a woman or a man by just making the eyes a little bit more mysterious, a little bit darker to make the mouth more visible,” hinting at the further face and eye products said to also be on the way.
The collection is available at Dries Van Noten boutiques and its online store, which does not ship internationally, so you may have to acquire from a travelling acquaintance offshore.
