Friday, February 18, 2011

Diane von Furstenberg Shows No Minimalism

After being "Phoebe Philo-ified" this fall with all our camel and minimalism, it looks like this Spring and next fall we are going to be "Prada-ified." Miuccia Prada declared she was tired of minimalism, and was she ever. Her bold color blocking, crazy prints, and colored furs from the Prada Spring 2011 show are appearing in different iterations on the NYC runways for Fall/Winter 2011. Throw in some old West American spirit and you've got Diane von Furstenberg's "American Legends" Fall 2011 show.

Wide-brimmed hats with stampede strings and suede accessories accented with fringe indicate that Fall 2011 will head in a decidedly Western direction. You have to look closely but if you look at the boots on the right and left images you can see the fringe swinging in the back, and you can see the fringe coming off of the coat the model wears in the center image. 

I've never been happier that I own a pair of cowboy boots. I also own a gorgeous camel sweater with fringe that runs along the back of the sleeves and across the back. I will definitely be taking these items out next fall!

These are merely two images (of many possible options) from the show to illustrate that Diane's customer should have no fear of print. Prints certainly gel with the tradition of the house, but I think there were a lot more over-the-top prints on top of prints at this show. And of course, runway shows are not how things get styled on the street, so this is naturally open to interpretation by the consumer, but this consumer is not going to be afraid of getting noticed next fall. Speaking of getting noticed...

You best not be afraid of color! The colors are certainly in a different palette than Prada's, less bright more deep, but the boldness is the same. I love the center image with the aubergine coat over the raspberry dress. Beautiful color combination. Also, colored fur is reigning supreme for next fall.

And finally, here is my absolutely favorite look from the show. I want to buy it NOW. I would wear it to a nighttime summer wedding: