RUNWAY: Dries Van Noten FW15

Belgian designer Dries Van Noten's FW15 offered up a collection that was romantic and showcased his ability to tailor and work with patterns, something everyone knows, but we suppose he wanted to reiterate that fact, in case someone forgot. East Asian influences abounded while quilted outerwear was resplendent in their elegance. Those coats were worn inside out, the quilted part the audience saw was the lining; if the lining of a coat is that beautiful, one need not ever see the coat right-side out to want it. As for the East Asian influences, they came from China with Mao-esque jackets and Japan, think Samurai influences and the zen garden show space. There was a lot going on in this collection from fur to quilted linings to a myriad of patterns but all of it cohesively came together to create a really strong collection that touched on the biggest trend this season thus far: menswear influenced from womenswear, tied together with a hint of romanticism.