Dries Van Noten Opens In SoHo

Over the weekend, Dries Van Noten opened their latest storefront, this time on Mercer Street in SoHo. With its mix of masculinity, high-end art, and a little forward-thinking, the space is as much a reflection of the Belgian designer’s legacy as it is the beginning of a new era for the brand.

In March of 2024, Dries Van Noten announced he was stepping down as head of his label, with Julian Klausner named as the new creative director in his stead. Not only was this a surprise to the industry (Van Noten had led his eponymous brand for nearly forty years), but many worried the label—which relied on bold prints, inventive silhouettes, and rich textures—would fundamentally change. Luckily, the store opening shows us that the DNA of Dries is alive and well. 

Of course, in large part this is due to Dries’ continued involvement in the project, alongside Klausner. Known for his personal style (his own home in the medieval Belgian town of Ringenhof has been featured in countless design magazines and Instagram accounts), Dries has blended metal, stone, and wood to make the storefront unmistakably his own. Few could produce an environment that layers raw materials in a way that feels not only imaginative, but intentional. Or, as Dries put it, was all about paying attention. 

Van Noten notes, “The space began to guide us. We’d come in with ideas, of course—but once we started placing objects, choosing textures, letting in the light, the spaces started to show us what they needed. It became less about control and more about paying attention.”

Among the 328 square-meters, works by Ben Storms and Simone Crestani dot the interior. From a gold-leaf room divider to a marble coffee table chiseled into the shape of a pillow, the art selected within the retail space is as much a blank canvas to show off the ready-to-wear collections, beauty, and accessories as it is an extension for the singular vision that Van Noten has cultivated over the four decades spearheading his namesake label.

It’s worth noting that those elements of the building not designed by the Dries Van Noten team were the perfect backdrop for this vision to come to life. From the darkened facade to the seven-meter-tall ceilings to the cobblestones that cover Mercer Street, every detail sits at the periphery of both modernity and an unreachable bygone era, much like the label itself. 

While SoHo is known for its brick-and-mortar designer stores, the Dries Van Noten customer is one that might be a little braver than the Lanvin man or a little more playful than those who gravitate towards Prada, filling the gap in the retail landscape of the area for something a bit more avant-garde, a cornerstone to Dries’ design language. So, if you find yourself south of Houston, be sure to stop by 168 Mercer Street, now open daily.