La Belgique, C'est Chique

Belgium is a wonderful country: great food, awesome beers and amazing chocolate. Home of the world's greatest female tennis player Justine Henin, the inventer of the saxophone Adolphe Saxe and birth country of Audrey Hepburn and Diane Von Fürstenberg.

Okay, so we have lots of trouble with the language divide and forming a government. But what i'm very proud of are our wonderful fashion designers.

Known throughout the world for their creativity and innovative designs, Belgian fashion designers (and models) are what's hot in the world of fashion.

Every now and then I will offer a closer look on a Belgian fashion designer or model.

Today I'll be talking about the renown designer Dries Van Noten.

Dries Van Noten has been described by the NY Times as 'one of fashion's most cerebral designers' and last year he won the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America's (CFDA) International Award.

Dries is known for his eccentric use of vibrant colours, prints and fabrics. A non-conformist in the world of fashion, Van Noten doesn't offer a haute couture line but solely prêt-a-porter.

Paying close attention to the touch and feel of the fabrics, his Spring/Summer 2009 collection for men is of superior sartorial quality: dandy shapes but with a quirky twist and clean lines but unusual prints.

Here are five of my favourite looks out of the collection:

(images: www.men.style.com)