NYFW Spring 2012: Diane von Furstenberg

When Diane von Furstenberg came out for her bow, she handed out small American flags to people here and there in the crowd as a way of marking September 11. Optimism was the message of her Spring show. There were clues aplenty in addition to the stars and stripes: Nina Simone on the soundtrack crooning "Feeling Good," with its chorus of "It's a new dawn"; the collection's title, Beginnings; and, naturally, the clothes themselves. DVF opened with a series of all-white looks: a gauzy pantsuit, a lace frock, a drapey kimono dress cinched with a utility belt. Her prints, which were legion, were positively exuberant. She focused mainly on florals: green and royal oversize Marimekko-style bursts on a sleeveless white dress, smaller white buds on a blood orange jumpsuit, Wedgwood patterns on a sweatshirt and knee-length skirt. The variety of pattern was remarkable, if not a bit overwhelming.