“It’s not a formula for dressing, it’s a formula for living,” Diane von Furstenberg declared. In her 13 years as the head of the CFDA—she hands the torch to Tom Ford tonight at the annual Fashion Awards ceremony—and her 45 as a fashion entrepreneur, von Furstenberg has become quite handy with a quote. She laughingly calls herself “The Oracle.” Sandra Campos, her CEO, is the “boss lady,” and Sabrina Shahnazarian, who had her official coming out as brand director at this morning’s appointment, is the “bohemian designer.”
Together at DVF headquarters, the trio presented Resort, which is season two of the brand’s new concept. It puts an emphasis on “solutions dressing,” i.e. wrinkle-resistant, packable materials like fluid jersey and merino wool; versatile pieces like a wrap blouse that can be worn front-to-back or back-to-front for a less revealing look; and complementary prints designed for easy layering.
By easy, von Furstenberg and her collaborators don’t mean basic or plain, as the ground-floor boutique on West 14th Street, where Spring with its riot of color and pattern is currently hanging, makes clear. As for Resort, an abstract agate swirl is extroverted on a mesh wrap dress, but absolutely statement-making on a water-resistant trench. Ditto the brushstroke motif, which appeared on mix-and-match separates very much in the DVF canon, but looked arrestingly bold on a wool coat.
For all the vibrancy of the prints, one of the most winning looks was a cardigan dress and pajama pants in glossy black sequins stitched to slinky jersey. Minimalists need easy solutions, too.
