VIRTUAL REALITY
Unlike previous Diane Von Furstenberg shows, this season’s collection was presented inside a vast warehouse space in New York City’s Meatpacking District with no seats but an elevated runway and a gigantic digital screen, which left regular fashion insiders and editors surprised and clamouring for a good viewing spot in the standing-room set-up. However, the atmosphere was buzzing, stripped off of the formality of “who’s who” or “what’s your seat number” chaos normally seen at fashion week shows. I was lucky enough to find a spot, just metres away from the man of the night Jonathan Saunders, who was still chief creative officer of the iconic American label then, watching the entire show, alongside the enthusiastic crowd. Citing Jane Forth—former receptionist at Andy Warhol’s Factory and one of the first DVF models in the ’70s—as his muse for the Spring/Summer ’18 collection, Saunders opened the show with a satin printed midi dress paired with knee-high lace-up boots and contrasting laces—an ode to ’70s glamour and a teaser to the spectacular looks that followed. Saunders’s forte in colour and print was delivered on a range of flamboyant looks that combined graphic stripes, oriental florals, crafty cuts, playful fringes, and blinding mercurial sequins in an explosive palette of rich colours. Think bright orange, electric blue clashing with pink, and minty green. Standout pieces included a bias-cut ankle-length sequinned slip dress, draped effortlessly around the body, creating mesmerising movements as it glided down the runway; a diaphanous ivory flora dress that featured a flattering boat neck, kimono short sleeves, and flowy scarf hem; handkerchief hem dresses in striking combinations of colours; and a striking one-shoulder black dress with white piping and floral embroidery. The designer’s robust eye for details also extended to the leather accessories, yielding eye-catching pieces from the super sleek Bonne Soirée bags to graphic nylon totes. And with the much-admired designer announcing his immediate departure from the DVF label after a fruitful 18-month tenure, there’s all the more reason to indulge this season as the collection hits stores.
J