Menswear 2014: Dries Van Noten

(PARIS) Dries Van Noten
This print master nails it once again, turning to the garden this time for very literal inspiration. The designer has a deft ability to make silky fabrics imprinted with cheery botany into masculine staples. Van Noten sourced his blossoms from different eras and locales, creating effortless combinations. Among the offerings: an overcoat that Hunter S. Thompson would die for, complete with unstructured navy floral pants and a sheer velvet burnout button down. For wares that are not quite beach-worthy check out the large pink Hawaiian hibiscus print pants that take a turn over to the dark side due to a dose of heavy outerwear. Board shorts in a deep floral look primed for a swim, once that sheer black collared shirt is taken out of the equation. An eccentric Far East print made its way onto a number of separates, infusing bright colors onto the back of navy slacks and stealing the show on a sharp blazer. Nearly every look in the collection had a splash of floral, but those that were lacking made up for it with gold detailing that would make Louis XIV proud. The cobalt trench belted at the waist with a Rococo belt would not be sumptuous enough for the Sun King, but the embroidered shorts that hit above the knee have a karat count high enough for even the most opinionated royal.