Dries Van Noten Opens First New York Flagship Store in SoHo

On April 18, Belgian luxury brand Dries Van Noten officially opened its very first flagship store in New York, marking a major milestone in the brand’s steady global expansion. Following last month’s boutique opening in London, the new store joins locations in Antwerp, Paris, and Los Angeles.

Since launching the brand 38 years ago, designer Dries Van Noten has consistently avoided rapid expansion and aggressive growth. Instead, he has focused on building a distinctive world rooted in thoughtful decisions and lasting aesthetics. In 2022, he introduced the brand’s beauty and fragrance lines. And now, after nearly two decades of searching for the right location and moment, the designer has realized his long-held vision for a New York boutique.

The chosen location is Mercer Street in SoHo, one of the city’s most style-savvy neighborhoods, also home to high-end neighbors such as Alaïa, Marni, and Balenciaga. The boutique’s narrow yet deep layout features a soaring 7-meter ceiling, forming a jewel-box-like space that distills the essence of the brand’s refined and poetic world.

Inside, the store offers ready-to-wear, accessories, and the full beauty line. The interiors are adorned with artworks that span centuries and styles—including a 2021 piece by British contemporary artist Tracey Emin, a 17th-century portrait, and a resin armchair by Gaetano Pesce. The rear wall is covered in gold leaf, giving the space a theatrical structure that feels immersive and cinematic.

The store design was overseen by Van Noten himself, in collaboration with current creative director Julian Klausner. At the center of the interior is the work of Belgian designer Ben Storms, whose pieces—like gold-finished room dividers and a marble table that appears sunken into the floor—add sculptural dimension and quiet strength to the space.

In designing the New York store, Dries Van Noten placed importance on visual elements such as art, objects, and materials—but above all, he emphasized the inherent power of the architecture itself. He explained that some pieces captivated him through their texture and materiality, while others drew him in with their commanding volumes and spatial presence.

Van Noten views the London boutique as an “apartment-like, intimate space,” whereas the New York store is “an artistic space—structured, open, and expressive.” Throughout the interior, visitors will find antique pieces personally collected by Van Noten over the years, including torchères from the collection of the late Iris Apfel and a striking metal-and-wood bookshelf by Carlo Scarpa.

Uncompromising in his dedication to personal aesthetics, Dries Van Noten has long resisted the pull of fleeting trends. Instead, he continues to build a world guided by enduring beauty and individual vision—one that extends far beyond clothing alone. His New York store stands as a serene, refined space where timeless design and expressive identity come together in quiet harmony.