Inside Dries Van Noten’s Venice Manifesto

Inside Dries Van Noten’s Venice Manifesto

From The Business of Fashion Podcast by The Business of Fashion

April 30, 2026 · 45 min

About this episode

Dries Van Noten discusses his transition from fashion designer to custodian of culture in Venice, emphasizing the importance of beauty in times of uncertainty.

For four decades, Dries Van Noten defined a singular path in global fashion with a universe rooted in intellectual rigour, exquisite craftsmanship and independence. When he stepped back  from his eponymous brand last year, it wasn't a retreat into a quiet retirement. Instead, Van Noten has embarked on a profound transition—moving from the relentless, dictated rhythm of fashion to a new life as a custodian of culture in Venice. Van Noten has established a new foundation at the Palazzo Pisani Moretta, a space dedicated to the beauty of craftsmanship and the belief that in a world marked by global uncertainty, the act of making something beautiful is the ultimate form of protest.  “I think everybody knows that it’s ugly times,” says Van Noten. “When we say ‘protest,’ you protest against something—so I think it’s quite clear when we say ‘the only true protest is beauty’ that people know what we mean.” In this special episode of The BoF Podcast, our editor-at-large Tim Blanks speaks to Dries Van Noten about this remarkable transition to becoming a custodian of beauty. Key Insights:   The Post-Runway Pivot: Reclaiming the Creative Rhythm: Van Noten discusses the…

People in this episode

Host: Tim Blanks

Guest: Dries Van Noten

Topics covered

  • fashion transition
  • craftsmanship
  • cultural custodian
  • beauty as protest
  • creative rhythm

Keywords

  • Dries Van Noten
  • Venice
  • craftsmanship
  • fashion
  • beauty
  • protest
  • cultural foundation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Business of Fashion

Places: Venice, Palazzo Pisani Moretta

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