Venice—originally known as La Serenissima (“The Most Serene”)—is filled with complex history, mystique, and intrigue. It has also become a sort of second home for Diane von Furstenberg and a fitting inspiration for the label’s fall collection. “To me, Venice is like a cultural crossroads,” said DVF’s creative director Nathan Jenden, pointing to other designers, including Rick Owens and Dries Van Noten, who have also flocked to the historic metropolis. “There are lots of textiles, lots of interiors, lots of exchanges of ideas, and so it also feels a bit like New York.”
With such variety, as in New York, comes a collection of characters, figures whose dress is often as dynamic as their bustling lives. “In New York, you’re always playing a character on the street, and I think Venice is full of those kinds of characters as well,” said Jenden. Within DVF’s woman’s wardrobe, there was plenty of room for sartorial contradictions as a result. House-designed prints were mixed and matched across a variety of textiles like lace and tulle, or transformed on repeat, like one python pattern that was shrunk, blown up, and revamped on different garments.
Beyond the ’70s psychedelic color palette and the boldness of disco prints, fall also saw an array of corduroy, knit, and a re-introduction of leather options to balance the density of prints. No matter the persona you play, Venice—and DVF—will welcome you.