Diane von Furstenberg's Fall show was her first as the newly appointed president of the CFDA. As she begins her tenure, the industry is confronting some challenging issues, from the long-term project of relocating the tents to the very of-the-moment "thin model" debate. But one look at her impressive front row—which was lined not with starlets but with newsmen and media moguls, including Anderson Cooper, Charlie Rose, Vanity Fair's Graydon Carter, and, of course, her husband, Barry Diller—and it's obvious that this is a woman who means business.
As for her collection, it was singular in its focus on dresses. It opened with a signature wrap, done up in ruffled black taffeta that hinted at the Spanish influences cited in her program notes. From there, it was all leg, whether the model on the runway was wearing a Miró color-block shift, a velvet flapper style with fringe, or a strapless lace jersey number with a gathered hem. Many of the dresses came with matching coats, a nod toward the designer's sense of practicality—an asset that should serve her industry well in the coming months.
