Daily Front Row

2010 February 15

Runway Reviews: Diane von Furstenberg, Thakoon

DvF
© Getty Images View Gallery

(NEW YORK) Diane von Furstenberg indulged her masculine side, honing in on menswear elements and revamping the silhouettes so that they flirted with androgyny but ultimately arrived at femininity. Blazers, cardigans and trousers championed unfussy comfort, while rows of ruffles, feather knit sweaters, and lamé jacquard dresses all underscored the strength found in pretty. The classic wrap dress was updated in a jersey butterfly print; the nature theme was referenced again with a beetle-emblazoned satin dress. "This collection is titled ‘Metamorphosis,’" the designer explained. "The shapes are based on a man’s wardrobe, but the femininity is seen in high heels and then beautiful chiffon and feathers." The fusion of elegance and "manliness" realized von Furstenberg’s objective, which she cited as, "living a man’s life in a woman’s body."

Thakoon
Thakoon Panichgul delivered a buffet of designs rooted in the rawness of nature. The designer favored a sooty palette, and gray rumpled velvet jackets and black silk and twisted yarn pullovers injected the collection with an edgy energy. Pops of yellow chiffon felt airy and weightless against the denser fabrics and hues. Pom poms punctuated the fanciful nature that Panchigul cited as integral to his collection. Inspired by an image of a half-shaven sheep, Panchigul saw the beauty it what many would have written off as alarming. “There was something quite beautiful about that image, and it captured everything that I wanted in my collection,” he explained. “It was raw, primitive and soft all at once.”