Psychedelic Chic. Dries Van Noten SS26

The Dries Van Noten collection is one I suspect I’ll appreciate more once it arrives in stores. Julian Klausner’s second outing for Papa’s brand was overall good, but somewhat… unresolved. He aimed to make the line-up feel joyful, easy, and optimistic – and he succeeded in that regard. To achieve it, he turned to surfing as his theme. “Being around surfers is always a good time,” the designer mused. A slouchy men’s jacket paired with red floral bermudas channeled a surf-chic spirit, as did the psychedelic prints – just as brilliant as those from Dries’ archives. And yet, despite the abundance of looks and myriad styling options, the collection still left me wanting something more.