In his second menswear outing for the house, Klausner proves continuity can still feel fresh, with sharp tailoring, joyful color, and new signatures that push Dries forward without forcing a break.

Julian Klausner&rsquo;s appointment at Dries Van Noten didn&rsquo;t come with chaos, theatrics, or a big &ldquo;new era&rdquo; announcement. It happened quietly, and that&rsquo;s kind of the point. In a season where so many houses are still figuring out what succession even looks like, his second menswear collection lands as a confident reminder that a hand-off doesn&rsquo;t need to feel like a reset. Sometimes it&rsquo;s just a clean continuation, with the volume turned up a little.
Klausner understands the house from the inside out. He keeps the essential Dries language intact, the precise tailoring, the street-level sharpness, the exotic fabrics, the playful florals that never feel like decoration. But he doesn&rsquo;t just repeat it. He tweaks the formula with his own sensitivity, and the result feels lived-in and new at the same time.
A few pieces stood out as instant signatures. The pajama-style shorts, cut in striped silk and printed variations, felt like the easiest flex of the season: relaxed, slightly irreverent, and exactly the kind of thing that will be copied the minute it hits stores. Then there&rsquo;s the cape-coat, a tricky category that so often slips into costume. Here, Klausner gets it right. Draped over long overcoats, the capes hint at something ceremonial and nomadic at once, like a character already in motion, already leaving.
Color does what it always does at Dries, it carries emotion. Nylon trenches, a house staple, came back with even more energy, covered in unexpected meadow florals. Tailoring leaned sharp, almost Edwardian, then softened through knitted detailing along lapels and collars, blurring the line between structure and comfort.
The show wasn&rsquo;t perfect, and it didn&rsquo;t need to be. A few styling choices felt slightly forced, and the pacing had its moments. But the overall collection held together because it was driven by a clear idea. It played like a story about growing up: that strange in-between moment when you leave home for the first time, carrying pieces of your past with you. A grandfather&rsquo;s coat, your sister&rsquo;s scarf, a blazer that doesn&rsquo;t quite fit anymore but still feels important.
That feeling showed up in the clothes. Young, open-faced casting. Retro-bright knits. Cocoon coats and protective capes. Victorian touches, like collar buttons and small jewelry that looked like family objects, next to asymmetrical waists, imperfect patchworks, and a heavy use of jersey that read like comfort as a decision, not an afterthought. Even the jacquards had memory baked in, micro-floral motifs drawn from classic ties and linings, built from scanned Polaroids and invitation fragments turned into pattern.
It also built naturally on what Klausner started last June, youthful spirit, bright color, a sense of softness without weakness. Fall/Winter 2026-27 deepened that message: you can move forward without cutting ties to who you&rsquo;ve been. School-uniform codes came back through long enveloping coats, vertical stripes, preppy Fair Isle and argyle knits, and silky shirts and loosely worn ties that kept things light.
Klausner&rsquo;s Dries man isn&rsquo;t trying to dominate the room. He&rsquo;s figuring it out in real time. Curious, careful, slightly romantic, and always dressed with intention. Not a loud reinvention, but a new chapter that feels true.

Dries Van Noten Men's Fall/Winter 2026 show. Getty Images.

Julian Klausner Nails the Art of the Hand-Off for Dries Van Noten Men's Fall/Winter 2026

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