Diane von Furstenberg's wrap dress is about to turn 40. To celebrate, LACMA will put a collection of her most iconic pieces over the years on display next month, a few days shy of the Golden Globe Awards. But it wasn't Los Angeles on her mind when she was designing Pre-Fall; it was Venice, Italy, by way of her hometown, New York. Her prints this season—prints being as integral to her label as the wrap dress—were modeled after the undulating curves of Murano glass and the black and white checks of skyscrapers lit up at night. "Organic meets geometric," she said. "I've always thought Venice and New York were similar; they're both islands, they're both centers of art and culture." She may be onto something. The fluid lines of Murano glass and the graphic checks of NYC came together winningly on a sleeveless maxi dress. Her colors for Pre-Fall are particularly vivid, especially the azure blue and violet of a knee-length shift. Simple, softly constructed silhouettes predominated. That is, save for a pair of densely knit body-con dresses; those felt fresh for DVF. Also new: a wrap dress that paired her signature drapey jersey on top with a flaring cotton skirt.
