It was no coincidence that a lot of the women attending the Diane von Furstenberg fashion show at the Exdo Center on Friday night were wearing print jersey dresses, many of them in the wrap style made iconic by the designer in the 1970s.
Even the women in the sellout crowd of 650 who didn’t wear DVF dressed chicly in cocktail dresses, high heels and fur wraps. Guys made an effort for a Friday night, as well, dressing in sport coats and suits.
Von Furstenberg, who’s in demand in her roles as head of her company, as well as president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, made a rare Denver appearance to lend her support to a fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital Heart Institute & Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. The charity was chosen by retailer Max Martinez of MAX, who said he has wanted to thank Children’s ever since his niece was treated there. Brooke Ballenger was born on Dec. 10, 2004, and immediately needed heart surgery. The operation was a success, and she was home by that Christmas. Brooke joined Martinez and partner Scott Seale on stage at Exdo to thank “the doctors, the nurses, the valet guys” for all they did to save the girl. Also prominent on stage was event chair Ann Reidy, whose daughter, Diana, was treated at Children’s for leukemia at age 2. Both girls are now thriving.
Martinez said he has long wanted to do a big benefit to celebrate his 25 years in retailing and von Furstenberg was his first choice to present her collection. “I’ll be on a plane, and when people ask, I’ll tell them I carry Prada and Lanvin,” he says, “but when I mention Diane von Furstenberg, they light up and tell me how much they love her.”
The event raised an estimated $245,000, said Tina Garbin, director of communications for Children’s Hospital.
Before the show, which featured her colorful spring 2011 “goddess” collection, the designer talked about making peace with the dress she invented. “When I started designing, I made T-shirts, then a T-shirt dress,” she said. Next came wrap tops like dancers wear. Her innovation was to make the wrap dress in jersey, a fabric that clings to the body but is also forgiving of less-than-perfect body types. And to use prints, often inspired by animals, or in simple geometrics. When a woman wears it, she says, “She feels very feline.”
When the dress was at the height of its popularity in the 1970s, the company sold 25,000 a week. But after such saturation, interest died off, and she sold the company. It wasn’t until about 10 years ago, when young girls were buying the dresses at vintage shops, that von Furstenberg decided to get back into the game. “The second time around I find it so exciting,” she said.
What is it about the dress that has struck a chord with a new generation? “It’s the dress for the beginning of your life,” she said.
Suzanne S. Brown: 303-954-1697 or sbrown@denverpost.com
