Diane von Furstenberg SS15 Collection took a walk through a postcard-perfect 1950s French Riviera
On Sunday, the fashion world’s excited eyes were all on New York’s Spring Studio, where Diane von Furstenberg was showing her SS15 ready to wear collection. The likes of Lily Alridge, Jamie Chung, Olivia Palermo and Anna Wintour took their seats on the front row, looking out on to a whimsical milk-white catwalk and canopy that would set the tone for the entire show. With the sun streaming in, most of the audience watched transfixed through sunglasses as the models walked in oversized gingham, playful pastels and Riviera-ready maxis.
It was almost as if DVF had the heavens on her payroll as the New York sunlight burst through floor to ceiling glass windows, accentuating the hot, hazy summer scene the designer was aiming to evoke. Diane von Furstenberg took a walk through a postcard-perfect 1950s French Riviera, all the while making it relevant to the modern woman. Using the idea of a 21st century Bridgette Bardot as a muse, this was a spirited display of giddy frivolity coupled with self-assured determination.
As each model walked with a relaxed smile, glowing cheeks and lustrous, bouncing hair, an uplifting joie-de-vivre radiated from the runway. Oversized gingham in both monochrome and a variety of vivid pastels spoke of carefree picnics in rolling hills, whilst feminine silhouettes were showcased in a fresh palette of canary yellow and royal blue. With only two pairs of trousers on the catwalk, legs were in excess, as were cleavage-enhancing bralets and midriff-bearing crop tops. This collection is seriously sexy. But it’s a laid-back, whimsical glamour, a non-threatening kind of sexy that women can easily relate to.
Model of the moment Kendall Jenner wore one of YCB’s favourite looks. In a gingham dress with a lace overlay and matching strappy sandals, this was a far girlier style for her than the punk-rock character we had become accustomed to seeing on the Marc Jacobs and Chanel Couture catwalks. Victoria’s Secret model Candice Swanepoel wore this season’s take on Diane von Furstenberg’s infamous wrap dress, whilst supermodel Naomi Campbell took to the runway in a flowing, layered dress perfect for breezy summer evenings.
Diane von Furstenberg’s SS15 collection isn’t completely revolutionary, it isn’t shocking or desperately attention grabbing, but in our opinion that’s exactly what makes it so special. We’ll admit, with some apparently ‘ready to wear’ collections we’re left a little bit baffled as to where and when exactly we’re supposed to be donning some of the ensembles. It’s so refreshing to see catwalk designs that quite simply do what every empowered female needs her clothes to do: flatter her shape, and make her feel sexy, playful and free. That’s what make’s DVF’s SS15 collection so breathtaking.
