Dries Van Noten names Adrian Ward-Rees as president as Axel Keller steps down
The Puig-owned Antwerp house hires the Moncler Grenoble executive from 1 December, as Julian Klausner's collections log double-digit growth.
Dries Van Noten, the Antwerp fashion house majority-owned by Spain’s Puig, has named British executive Adrian Ward-Rees as its next president, Vogue reports. He succeeds Axel Keller, who is leaving after more than five years.
Who is coming
Ward-Rees joins from Moncler Grenoble, the luxury group’s performance and ski line, where he was chief business officer for a little over two years. Modaes notes he was previously chief executive of Amiri and has worked at Burberry, Dior Homme, Nike and Selfridges. He takes up the role on 1 December; Keller stays until the new year to support the handover.
What Keller leaves behind
According to an internal announcement quoted by Vogue, Keller developed the brand’s retail, wholesale and digital business and expanded accessories. He oversaw flagship openings in New York and London and the house’s gallery-style stores in Brussels, Milan and Kyoto.
Context
The change comes as creative director Julian Klausner, Dries Van Noten’s long-time collaborator who took over after the founder’s retirement, is enjoying critical and commercial success, with double-digit growth in 2026, Vogue says. Puig CEO Jose Manuel Albesa said this week the group plans to open two to three Dries stores a year.
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