Dries Van Noten

Celebrated Belgian designer Dries Van Noten revolutionized fashion as part of the ‘80s “Antwerp Six.” For women, romance lavishes generous proportions of brocade, fur, embroidery, tweed and silk in sweeping lengths, at times tempered by the pinch of structured shoulders or a tailored coat. Mr. Noten’s boho-luxe tendencies are also evident in his menswear, equally as precious in materials and construction, but outwardly more conservative (as menswear usual is).

Paris is the world’s fashion capital, with the number of designer shops approximated by the heightened digits of its price tags. To stand out is difficult. But Dries Van Noten does, in a beautiful 17th century duplex on the famous riverside street, the quaint Quai Malaquais. Here, you enter a space set up like the ideal Parisian home: fresh flowers, paintings, comfortable sofas, a nonchalant-yet-deliberate mix of furniture and trinkets from all around the world. From the library to balcony view of the Louvre to the dressing room (that makes you blush, as it feels so private), it is proof of innate good taste. Yet, despite the splendor, it feels wonderfully liveable and personal, like the clothes on display.