Diane Von Furstenburg Offers an "American Express" Exclusive Taste of Fashion Week

*sign on the back of the American Express Lounge, Bryant Park Tents, Fall 2009 Fashion Week

American Express is not just a sponsor of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, it offers card members a unique view of Fashion week in a luxurious, exclusive Skybox high atop the Bryant Park main tent, but this season, American Express offered something truly unique: a multi-season runway show offering a genuine, at-the-runway experience. I attended one of these special fashion shoes featuring designer Peter Som in September, 2008.



This year it was fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg's turn to be in the spotlight.

Diane Von Furstenberg is beloved for her creation of the figure-flattering, generation-spanning, easy-to-wear, wrap dress. However, she is also dedicated to empowering women, and helping young designers reach their goals. Since ticket sales from American Express events at Fashion Week are part of their $250,000 donation to the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, and Diane Von Furstenberg is President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) as well as a spokesperson for American Express (a sponsor of Mercedes Benz Fashion week), she staged not one, but two complete runway shows during Fall 2009 Fashion Week in February. The first was for her Fall 2009 collection, and the second, held later in the week at 9:00 at Bryant Park, was a show of her current, Spring/Summer collection and a few look as a preview from her Fall 2009 collection.


Although I spent every day on the risers with the photographers this season, American Express invited me to cover this show, and two in the Skybox .

Jessica Igoe, Director of Global Sponsorship Marketing at American Express, kicked off the show.

The elegant, Vogue editor-at-large, André Leon Talley mde some remarks about Fashion, and how he and Diane Von Furstenberg were in Washington for the Obama inauguration. He then introduced Diane Von Furstenberg. She shared a few thoughts about women and fashion, and said her collection was an homage to former Vogue Editor Diana Vreeland, who taught her to "keep her chin up." The Spring/Summer '09 collection was, as Diane explained, a "rock goddess" look (as the models walked down the runway, in a profusion of colors and prints that Diane does so well, they sometimes reminded me of costumes from the musical, Godspell). All of us have the opportunity to be a "rock and roll goddess," exclaimed Diane.

Diane understands the fashion business extremely well, and she tried to bring a sense of reality about Fashion Week to the crowd. She admitted that Fashion Week, despite the perceived glamour and excitement, is at it's heart, a "trade show," for the buyers and press who will be determining what clothes will be in the stores half a year away. But this show, just for American Express card members, gives them a chance to experience Fashion Week, too.

For the well dressed, packed-to-the-back-of-standing room crowd, eager to get the experience of a real runway show, the experience was fairly authentic. In high excitement, they waited at a usual line at check in and a bit impatiently in the "holding area" until the doors were ready to open. They sat in the usual rows of pristine, white folding chairs and there was even a full riser of photographers (minus one--me)! Even industry insiders have to pay for their Fashion Week passes, and for the American Express Diane Von Furstenberg show, ticket prices varied. However, a bonus for those with seated tickets was a card offering a limited edition discount at DVF boutiques that made the ticket price a great value as well as a memorable experience. Another plus was that these guests were not seeing designs half a year away from being in the stores, They could see something they loved, and buy it the next day if they wished.



....and there was a lot to love!

The show began with the pieces from the Spring/Summer 2009 collection, a cheerful, youthful, fun collection of easy to wear clothes that would look great in a resort, a weekend house, or as individual pieces, on the streets of New York. I loved the huge, floppy 70's hats, and the colrful, wedge shoes. Von Furstenberg had said previously that the looks were inspired also from the 1970's "When I was young and had a lot of fun," but to me the looks were more from the late 60's, a bit bohemian and hippy-ish. The collection was fun, with lots flowers in the model's hair, and ribboned wreaths, and flirty, loose, flowing clothes that made the young, gorgeous models look amazing, But DVF designs are for every woman and just about every body type, and for any age.

The Fall preview pieces offers more generation-spanning, flattering, runway-to-real-way designs but this time, with a more tribal vibe. Although I didn't see the collection a few days earlier, the collection called “Nomad” was supposed to convey the philosophy that a modern woman “carries her home with her." I guess home means a lot of wonderful clothes! There was a lot of velvet, wool, and luxurious faux fur head ornaments (I can't bring myself to merely call them "hats") that I thought mirrored the wreaths and flowers worn in the Spring 2009 collection. The clothes could be layered, mixed and matched, and worn in various ways, making them, as Diane urged, versatile clothes that women could wear in various situations.

Diane Von Furstenberg takes a short walk down the runway to the beat of enthusiastic applause. During her pre-show chat with Andre Leon Talley, she urged consumer to "Buy things that you really like, things that sing to you, and that you can wear in a variety of situations." Diane, your designers are certainly playing my song!

Of course you want to go, next season! If you want to know about American Express Fashoin Week events, first become an American Express Card Member. Then visit: www.americanexpress.com/entertainment

*TIP: Please remember not to cross or swing your legs, and to put your packages and handbags behind your legs. Otherwise, they are dangerous obstacles for the models, and require photographers to severely crop their photos. Thank You!