Dries Van Noten Launches Venice Fondazione with Beauty as Protest

Dries Van Noten's Fondazione debuts in Venice at Palazzo Pisani Moretta on April 25, 2026, with the exhibition "The Only True Protest Is Beauty." The show features over 200 works spanning fashion, craft, and art, including large-scale photographs by Steven Shearer, sculptural Comme des Garçons pieces from 2024 with headpieces by Julien d’Ys, a Christian Lacroix wedding gown, and works by emerging talents like Ayham Hassam. The palazzo's 18th-century interiors, with stuccoed ceilings by Jacopo Guarana, create a dialogue with contemporary pieces. Van Noten selected only three fashion designers: Christian Lacroix, Comme des Garçons, and Ayham Hassam. A Lacroix jacket from Anna Wintour's first US Vogue cover (November 1988, shot by Peter Lindbergh) is displayed alongside Codognato crosses. The title quotes Phil Ochs. The foundation was established last year, and the exhibition explores beauty as a form of resistance in turbulent times.