PARIS, Jan 31, 2005/ FW --- With models wearing orchids as buttoners, Dries Van Noten raised the ante on modernistic dressing in the classical sense, converging the old and the new to equal cool and hip.

Van Noten who was born into the world of textiles, courtesy of his family who is in the business demonstrated his extensive knowledge of fabrics by pulling together different volumes, textures and colors --- dissimilar elements, yet with Van Noten, everything made sense when he put them all together.

Proposing a wardrobe of rich textures and colors, Van Noten used thin high-tech fabrics in combination with fur such as the khaki bomber jacket matched with a vest, striped shirt and tie --- the styling a proposal by itself on how a man should look come fall.

The classic pin stripes were used in low-waist pants with its pockets closed by a zipper. The vest was snugly fit, in fact, cut a little bit shorter and smaller than standard. The suit though was tailored the conventional way.

Matched with the contemporary cuts of both vest and pants, and styled with a white shirt and thin tie, the Dries Van Noten man is a classicist, yet very cool and hip.

The Antwerp-born designer did not forget to send his signature knits – colorful and graphical, wherein this season it became an oversized cardigan, sometimes a coat to ward off the cold of winter.

Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten