In the past few seasons, this collection drifted a bit from its identity, with excessive retro references and extraneous detailing obscuring Diane von Furstenberg's strength: chic, sexy clothes for a smart, worldly woman. Ironically, it was a travel theme that brought DVF back home: Spring's collection, designed by von Furstenberg and creative director Nathan Jendon, based on the idea of a grand tour, was bold, breezy, and focused.
The show opened with a simple, straightforward outfit: a cotton safari shirt and a pair of the slim shorts that have emerged as a major trend. Von Furstenberg added a glam touch by fashioning them in chocolate satin that would suit urban explorers as well as globetrotters. Plenty of sportswear followed, enriched with hippie flair: chiffon tops, gored skirts that fluttered around the calves (some trimmed with strands of jingly coins), schoolboy blazers jazzed up with bright colors and beading, and lots of those deservedly famous slim wrap dresses in a variety of prints. And summery dresses were rendered in soft cotton voile with a bright giant leaf print—the perfect thing to wear to a welcome-back party.
