This season, Dries Van Noten refused to give into any notions of extravagance. Instead, the show was “a reflection on refinement, celebrating subtle details and nuance over bold gestures.” Brave of Dries to try to bring nuance to Paris Fashion Week.

And yet, it could easily be argued that Van Noten’s SS24 was extravagant. It was extravagant in its details. The tailoring of the earthen-toned trench coats, the weaving of the wool jumpers, the strong and taut silhouettes. There were herringbone coats, shimmering gold shirts, and an excess of fur-lined sandals.

It also felt like comfort was the order of business for the Belgian designer. Many pieces looked to be streetwear morphed with loungewear morphed with formalwear. Long, prominent zips trailed down the fronts of loose, baggy trousers that were paired with formal, button-up silk shirts. Trench-length coats were rendered in polyester. Double-breasted suit jackets were tucked into garish, bright swimming shorts. Dries may not think so, but this show is laden with bold gestures.