Set to the mood of Sade’s voice, Dries Van Noten reveals what’s in store this Autumn and Winter. Coined ‘The Woman Who Dares to Cut Her Own Fringe’, his collection explores clothes in relation to hair, color, and womanhood. Once again, Noten proves himself an active and graceful contributor to the Belgian fashion scene.
Short hair has traditionally been reserved for the “badass” woman. This woman is known to know no bounds and is not afraid of letting things go and starting anew. Dries Van Noten is not a stranger to this notion as his show, “The Woman Who Dares to Cut Her Own Fringe” highlights the relationship between daring haircuts and clothing.
Consisting of models with seemingly short hair, the Autumn/Winter 2024 collection displays Van Noten’s arrangement of textiles, proportions, and colors for the season. With digestible silhouettes, the variety of pastels that he features all the more adds to the boldness of the woman he has in mind for this collection. Ironically, pastels are praised for their softness, but when featured with short hair and fringes, they take on an unlikely commanding persona. Not only do we witness the power of hair come into play here, but the transformative nature of styling.
Fringes, known as bangs otherwise, are accepted to have risen to popularity in the 1920s in America. The new look was marked by ideas of liberation and the redefinition of femininity. We have flappers to thank for that. While the models are not flappers, the eccentricity captured through hair and colors coincides with their audacious demeanor. This hairstyle suggests experimentation and defiance, as allowing your hair to grow is deemed holy in the Bible. Whether done intentionally or not, many of the models that Van Noten incorporates have fringes that cover their eyes. This alludes to mystique, yes. However, it also places more attention on his clothing and the fringes, suggesting that the communication through both of those features says more than enough about the woman.
Rapunzel, a not so honorable mention, is the representation of a woman being held back by her hair and the attention it effortlessly dorns her (in one of the many versions, at least). The woman Van Noten is designing for is the kind that cuts her hair at her own free will, similar to a flapper; something short of the Anti-Rapunzel.
Styled by Sam McKnight, it’s no wonder that the hair on Noten’s runway has an innate intrigue. As the inspiration and originators of fringes can be considered dated, Van Noten’s usage of it perfectly unravels the nature of his clothing: Eclectic. Through the fringe, one gets a taste of long-established looks. Alternatively, by way of the fabrics, textures, and colors he incorporates, one realizes how distinct Noten’s designs are as well as his values. In regards to style, Van Noten forces the orthodox and unorthodox to shake hands. In fact, any aspect of rivalry is subdued in his designs for this collection.
Walking to the illustrious voice of Sade, Noten’s models reinforce that despite the commonality of silhouette, there is nothing casual about a woman who is bold enough to have a drastic haircut that meets bright colors. Autumn/Winter have something to look forward to, for that’s when hair meets clothes.
