The Best Dries van Noten Summer Fragrances 2026: Refillable, Hand-Painted Bottles

Through tears and Belgian beers, the legendary designer Dries Van Noten took his final runway bow in 2024. But he did so with a not-too-shabby retirement plan: To keep perfecting his brand’s fragrance line, which he’d launched just two years before, stunning the industry with complex scents delivered in hand-painted, easily refillable apothecary-like bottles.

We’ll come back to those bottles, but first, a note on the origin of the scents themselves. The man himself has always loved to tend the garden on his 55-acre estate just outside of Antwerp, plucking burgundy dahlias and cornflower blue delphiniums that then formed the basis of his ready-to-wear collections. (The 2017 documentary, Dries, is an essential viewing to really understand the scope and scale of his green thumb.)

Dries van Noten Santal Greenery Eau de Parfum

Dries van Noten Fleur du Mal Eau de Parfum

Dries van Noten Vanille Camouflage Eau de Parfum

Dries van Noten Mystic Moss Eau de Toilette

Dries van Noten Sur ma Peau Eau de Toilette

Dries van Noten Neon Garden Eau de Parfum

The hundreds of species of plants and flowers in that garden is the scentscape of his fragrances also, as van Noten works with some of the biggest noses in the game to bottle Eau de Parfums and Eau de Toilettes made up of at least 85 percent plant-derived ingredients—from his favorite iris to patchouli and bergamot. And if smelling like a bouquet isn’t your vibe, fear not: Each scent is masterfully juxtaposed with an unexpected note like smooth suede or warm santal to add depth to those floral notes.

But quickly, back to the bottles. Works of art, really. Each hand-painted vessel is designed by the Antwerp Six alum to represent the two different elements at play within the fragrance, like Soie Malaquais’ blackcurrant-colored glass paired with the blue and white porcelain of his tulip holders, or tulipieres. Topped with a patinated cap and atomiser, the bottles are a home decor gift to yourself, whether or not you ever spray the scent at all. They’re expensive, of course, but they’re the further thing from disposable—the brand sells generous refill vessels of every single scent it produces.

If you couldn’t already tell, I adore these fragrances. Having run to spray my wrists with them since the first the year dropped, I’ve no doubt sniffed through every square-inch of his Belgian garden by now. And as spring has finally come into full swing, I wanted to share the six I return to that just hit different on warmer days. They’ll open with the fragrant florals and herbaceous notes you’d expect in their name. But just wait until they’ve melted into your skin, when you (and your dinner date) will suddenly be back smelling your wrists, trying to decipher which unexpected note has just poked out of the bushes.