PARIS, Jul 8, 2004/ FW/ --- It was bound to happen; the popular book series and movies, Harry Potter entering the annals of fashion. Dries Van Noten did the introductions last Saturday at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts complete with tartans, kilts, walking shorts and trench coats.

“I was thinking of Harry Potter of course, but also of those English royals and their mastery of plaid,” the Antwerp-native told reporters after the show.

The crisp school uniform looks with thin ties worn over plaid suits with or without vests while the black magician cape turned into a black trench coat; but instead of the pockets being used to store spells, it has little pigeonholes for mobile phones, Ipod and PDA.

Harry Potter has entered the psyche of the populace and has become so much part of the pop culture of the 2000s. Dries Van Noten putting the popular character under the klieg lights of the runway goes to show that the young designer has his pulse on his market, the Gen Y and Gen X, who together with the internet generation are Harry Potter’s biggest fans.

As for the other half of the male population, Dries Van Noten has kilts and tartans, walking shorts and sweaters. You see, he thought of everyone.

Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten