Wilde streak: Designer shows the art of fashion

26 : 01 : 2012 Music : Calligraphy : Letman

Paris – Dries van Noten imagined an eccentric meeting between music and literary creatives Frank Zappa and Oscar Wilde for his autumn/winter 2012 menswear collection, presented alongside a live artists’ mural installation.

Dries van Noten menswear collection AW12 Dries van Noten menswear collection AW12
Dries van Noten menswear collection AW12 Dries van Noten menswear collection AW12
Dries van Noten menswear collection AW12 Dries van Noten menswear collection AW12
Dries van Noten menswear collection AW12 Dries van Noten menswear collection AW12
Dries van Noten menswear collection AW12 Dries van Noten menswear collection AW12

Mixing Zappa’s dialogues with a plummy-voiced narration of Wilde’s The Happy Prince, models walked the runway alongside a team of artists painting a mural featuring Wilde’s words and Zappa’s energetic execution.

Van Noten, who described the collection as ‘psychedelic elegance’, delivered his inspiration in two ways: prints packed with narrative and detail matched to a solemn, tailored, military-tinged Victorian story.

Van Noten took on board the heightened perceptions of the psychedelic 60s in the motifs borrowed from Dutch artist Gijs Frieling and the re-interpretation of Wilde’s words by calligraphy artist Letman. These two artists painted the mural backdrop at the same time as the show.

LS:N Global likes the application of themed graphics for a fashion collection, realised through a live installation. Brands can learn more about Revivalism in our macrotrend.

Discover More Daily Signals
The Trend: Mood-matching Fashion

Daily Signals

The Trend: Mood-matching Fashion

Fashion discovery is evolving, guided by emotional cues and powered by generative AI. Rather than surfacing static product results, next-gen tools ...
Fashion : Retail : Search And Discovery
The Big Idea: Viva Tech 2025: Five Sustainable Fashion Start-ups

Daily Signals

The Big Idea: Viva Tech 2025: Five Sustainable Fashion Start-ups

At VivaTech 2025, fashion-focused innovators showcased how AI can be used to tackle the industry’s sustainability challenge.
Fashion : Technology : VivaTech
The Campaign: Depop reframes second-hand fashion as secret to personal style

Daily Signals

The Campaign: Depop reframes second-hand fashion as secret to personal style

Fashion resale platform Depop (now a subsidiary of Etsy) has launched its largest US campaign to date. Created by Uncommon Creative Studio, Where T...
Fashion : Secondhand Market : Retail
The Viewpoint: Wearable Skincare

Daily Signals

The Viewpoint: Wearable Skincare

Sylva’s founder Tallulah Harlech was diagnosed with psoriasis when she was just nine years old. LS:N Global spoke to the fashion stylist and consul...
Fashion : Skincare : Wellness
The Space: Iris van Herpen unveils Sympoiesis at Paris Haute Couture Week

Daily Signals

The Space: Iris van Herpen unveils Sympoiesis at Paris Haute Couture Week

At Paris Haute Couture Week, Iris van Herpen unveiled Sympoiesis, a collection steeped in material innovation.
Fashion : Couture : Biofabrication
The Trend: Human by Design

Daily Signals

The Trend: Human by Design

LS:N Global’s coverage of design in 2025 explored humanising design and branding in the age of elasticity.
Design : Creativity : Branding
The Big Idea: Branding in the Age of Elasticity

Daily Signals

The Big Idea: Branding in the Age of Elasticity

LS:N Global’s coverage of design in 2025 explored humanising design and branding in the age of elasticity.
Design
The Campaign: New Forest’s rebranding turns tourists into custodians

Daily Signals

The Campaign: New Forest’s rebranding turns tourists into custodians

LS:N Global’s coverage of design in 2025 explored humanising design and branding in the age of elasticity. 
Design
The Viewpoint: Rehumanising 3D Design

Daily Signals

The Viewpoint: Rehumanising 3D Design

LS:N Global’s coverage of design in 2025 explored humanising design and branding in the age of elasticity. 
Design
The Space: Glossier unveils immersive experience for Fleur fragrance launch in Paris

Daily Signals

The Space: Glossier unveils immersive experience for Fleur fragrance launch in Paris

LS:N Global’s coverage of design in 2025 explored humanising design and branding in the age of elasticity.
Design
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN