Diane von Furstenberg s 40th anniversary festivities began in Los Angeles last month with the opening of Journey of a Dress, a retrospective of the frock that made her fortune. They continued today at Spring Studios, a new venue for DVF, where St. Vincent serenaded the crowd with a live performance and gold glitter fell from the ceiling as von Furstenberg completed her victory lap around the runway. There was a cake and candles, and a special dinner followed tonight.
Von Furstenberg titled her collection Bohemian Wrapsody, and true to the pun, it was well stocked with that signature dress. Karen Elson opened the show wearing a black-and-gold collared version that featured the same darts as the original. Doing research for the exhibition, von Furstenberg explained, she came across a 40-year-old quote from the New York Times Bill Cunningham in which he complimented her patternmaking; the gist of it was, "she knows how to do darts."
Prints are an equal part of DVF s oeuvre, and there was no shortage of them here. Love knots, rosebuds, stars, moons, and clouds—oftentimes in bold mix-and-match combinations. The smart thing about the show was that it didn t feel like a nostalgia trip. Backstage von Furstenberg said, "I used to take the wrap dress for granted, and sometimes I even resented it. Now that I decided to honor it, I m proud of it, of its timelessness." But it would be a mistake to expect this force of nature to do wraps and nothing else. The most vital look in the show was a sweater-dress in an abstract cloud motif worn with a flared skirt, over the top of which von Furstenberg tossed a printed cocoon coat. Not a dart in sight.
