Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2017 - Runway Review

From the get go, it was clear this is the Jonathan Saunders show. As the newly appointed chief creative officer at Diane von Furstenberg, the Scotsman paid homage to the iconic designer’s rich heritage while inserting some clear aesthetic cues from his former namesake label.

While von Furstenberg remains very involved with the day-to-day design tasks on hand, her absence from the intimate presentation made it all the more evident that Saunders has her full trust and command of pen. Signature DVF came through in the bold colors, patterns and mixed textures—but they felt more fresh, modernized and electrified, even, thanks to Saunders’s new eye. As he explained, the collection was a melting pot of DVF from her many incarnations—eclectic and timely and oh-so-exciting.

At no point was Saunders too literal in his reinterpretation of the DVF template. The signature wrap dress, for example, appeared throughout in subtle ways that often required a second take. They looked best cut asymmetrically and refashioned as a silky romper or color-blocked scarf dress.