Belgian fashion designer Dries Van Noten is one of the famous “Atwerp Six” who have been defying rules of fashion (such as the need to design eight collections a year) since the 1980s. So it’s little surprise that Mr. Van Noten on Wednesday defied most every trend that we’ve seen for Spring 2011.

Rather than fine cotton poplins, he showed luxe relaxed denim that looked as though it had been dipped in bleach or other dyes to make the color morph across the garment. A compelling highlight was a tailored dark blazer with denim arms. I took it, at first, to be a tailored vest over a denim work shirt. The juxtaposition – tailoring with denim – was a perfect analogy for modern life. Few of us have room in our days for pure formality.

The slightly Asiatic florals on silk were also something we haven’t seen in Milan or New York for spring, offering retailers a new thing to leap on. One carryover from the Yves-Saint-Laurent-70s trend was a black Le Smoking tuxedo jacket. But it was turned as casual as a tailored jacket with denim sleeves by adding patch pockets.

Later in the afternoon, several editors could be heard discussing their earlier forays into Dries Van Noten land at the designer’s two new shops overlooking the Seine from Paris’ left bank. Apparently, the shops haven’t stocked up on enough merchandise.