The Diane von Furstenberg brand has been synonymous with its iconic wrap dress for over 50 years. And with designer Henry Zankov at the helm, the brand is poised to become so much more.
The knitwear enthusiast, 45, who has won over the fashion set with his namesake label since its launch in 2020, made his DVF artistic director debut today with a collection that garnered cheers and applause from the crowd of editors, celebrities, and fans that had gathered for the show on the High Line. A playlist that included “I Think I’ll Do Some Stepping” by Sandy Barber and “I Like Love” by Norma Jean Wright soundtracked the parade of models, one of whom wore a patterned jersey skirt suit (not to be mistaken for a wrap dress) and could have been Mrs. von Furstenberg’s doppelgänger in the ’70s. Zankov’s starting point was exactly that: a photo of Diane (who was sitting front row in a summery shirt dress and hugged Zankov when he came out for his bow) in her heyday. “She’s actually pregnant here, and she is wearing a wrap dress but she’s wearing it in a different way,” Zankov explained in a preview ahead of the show. “It really is about her and all the aspects of this multifaceted woman.”
It was inevitable that the signature wrap dress would make its presence known (there were six iterations on tops and dresses throughout), but Zankov took a less on-the-nose approach to the label’s hero piece. “We really wanted to look at wrapping the body as opposed to wrap dresses,” says Zankov. “Wrap t-shirts, the wrapping of a trench coat, wrapping the body with scarves. There is definitely wrapping happening.” Standouts included a bright pink off-the-shoulder top paired with perfectly tailored trousers as well as the aforementioned trench in a patchworked suede.
Elsewhere, Zankov wanted to push the brand’s feminine boundaries with something a bit more masculine thrown into the mix. The evidence? A relaxed burgundy suit with an arty button-down in an abstract print. “It’s a new silhouette for us. It’s a deconstructed jacket with a soft shoulder, and it has a slightly ’70s feel but it’s not literal,” says Zankov. “For me this is one of the most exciting silhouettes. It feels like a men’s suit but it’s very, very light.”
To balance the newness, Zankov played with elements of the expansive DVF archive, including a ribbon logo print that von Furstenberg made in Italy years ago. “Bringing back these archival prints is very important to me,” says Zankov, of the logo pattern once worn by Pat Cleveland, Nicky Hilton and Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City. It’s also likely to resonate with the women of all ages (including Ahn Duong, Bethann Hardison, Leigh Lezark, and Olivia Jade, all of whom were in attendance today) who shop the brand’s vintage selection.
Zankov is no stranger to the DVF world and clearly understands how to portray the brand in a new light while keeping its heritage alive. The Romanian-born talent—whose roots trace back to Chișinău, just like von Furstenberg herself—worked at the house under Jonathan Saunders from 2014 to 2018 and more recently created a capsule collection for the brand in partnership with Bergdorf Goodman. But this first outing was less about the past and more so a reflection of how Zankov is feeling right now, and his hopes for the DVF of the future. “For me, it’s all about seduction,” says Zankov. “These are tools to express how you are feeling inside—it’s like you are dressing for you and not for the world.”
