For Spring 2011, Dries Van Noten looked to the past for inspiration, which came in the form of Jef Verheyen, a Belgian painter who was known for his efforts in capturing light on canvas.  The art of Chinese ceramics were cited as a secondary reference.

Top Trends: Due to the size of the collection, there were numerous recurring trends to be spotted, including a palette of pastels, iridescent sequins, oversized blazers and ethereal sheer fabrics.  Metallics and florals also proved to be key features.

Accessories: Accompanying the masculine/feminine juxtaposition were block-heeled suede shoes, shiny iridescent skinny belts and plastic aviator-style sunglasses.

Favourite looks: With so many beautiful designs to choose from it’s hard to decide on favourites, but some of the looks that particularly stood out include the sparkly, metallic kimono jacket with off-white silk shorts, the wide-legged floral lilac trousers with white shirt and the fuchsia dip-dyed jacket with sheer blouse and white mid-length skirt.

Thoughts: Van Noten captured the essence of light perfectly with his use of iridescents, metallics and sheer fabrics.  Despite citing two such different inspirational reference points, the designer managed to effortlessly merge them together to create an exquisite assortment of masculine pieces with feminine twists.  The whole collection exuded an effortless Parisian cool which, come spring, will definitely be a look to channel.