At the Dries Van Noten Spring 2027 Menswear show, delicate swaths of fabric draped over models, perfectly capturing the brand’s central position between beauty and subversion. 

Van Noten’s protégé, Julian Klausen, whose third menswear show was inspired by fairy-tale dreams of half-animal, half-human creatures, Debussy’s music, and Nijinsky’s approach to choreography. The resulting collection was a sensitive portrayal of masculinity.  As menswear begins to skew more fluid, Klausen is at an advantage because of his previous work at the label in womenswear. 

Klausen said of his first men’s collection, “In a way, I benefited from a sort of freedom. I had nothing to lose, I just thought, try it out. I worked with the men's team, who had been my colleagues, but I had never really worked with them. It’s new, it’s kind of the same game, with slightly different rules, different toys. We had fun with it.”

Indeed, the collection is a sophisticated take on fluid fashion. Look 2 exemplifies this concept wonderfully. An oversized sheer crepe tank with blooming beads and a tie detail at the waist was paired with silk cargo pants. The resulting ensemble is formal without losing the house’s cavalier essence. 

Throughout the collection, several leopard-print pieces added an animalistic, playful edge to the looks.

Look 4 featured a matching leopard glove and bag, paired with a dusty rose jacket, a sheer shirt, and more silk cargo pants in an orange shade reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. The resulting look is very playful but extremely grounded. Klausen’s collections have a strong understanding of how Dries Van Noten incorporated play and experimentation into his collections without losing formality.

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Look 36 blends women’s lingerie into a draped men’s top in brown and sea foam. The top is paired with layered shorts in light beige and brown. Scrunched-up socks and snakeskin loafers add a childlike energy to the ensemble. The look is a perfect blend of youth, femininity, and masculinity. Less ostentatious than other moments in the collection but still notable. 

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The collection explored fluidity further in Look 54. A silhouette similar to 36 in darker shades of navy, cream, and black. Klausen said of the lingerie integration, “We looked at the world of lingerie, thinking what lingerie can mean to menswear, and that informed a lot of the fabrication.”

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Collectors ride hard for Dries Van Noten’s romantic sensibilities.  Osman Ahmed, a fashion and arts editor, explained to Mr. Porter, “Dries Van Noten’s collections are like treasure troves of references, colours and textures – a quixotic blend of nostalgia, handcraft, exuberance and androgyny and pop cultural references. I think that’s why everyone loves Dries Van Noten.”  Dries Van Noten floats around various vantage points, incorporating perspectives in ways that fit perfectly into house codes. 

Stephen Doig, a men’s style editor and avid fan of the brand, told Mr. Porter, “I think there’s something in Dries Van Noten's aesthetic that’s so singular and unique. It’s whimsy without costumery… I think a certain type of man, usually someone creative, responds to that.”

The final look from the collection shows everything that fans of the brand obsess over. Look 61 comprises a tank top printed like moving water, pleated navy shorts, a black coat, leather gloves, a matching bag, and strappy ballet flats. The look blends formality with play, and the masculine and the feminine. 

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Dries Van Noten’s Spring 2027 Men’s collection is proof of Klausen's exciting exploration, which continues the designer’s legacy through sophisticated blends of art, gender, and contexts. Looks that work at the grocery store, the club, a gala, and the red carpet, and will always be chic. Klausen’s 2027 menswear collection cements his promising future at the label.