Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2016 NYFW Collection

A painting of Fortuna, the Roman goddess of fortune and fate, all bare feet, beauty and butterfly wings, inspired Diane von Furstenberg’s spring collection. Not in a literal sense, mind you; rather, the designer intended the show as a treatise on individually. “I have beautiful girls,” von Furstenberg said of her models backstage before the show. “I tell each one of them, ‘when you walk, I just want you to think of the woman you want to be, and be that.’” As long as she looks like DVF at Studio 54 circa 1976, eyes sultry and hair in seductive waves caught on one side with a spray of flowers.

The clothes: Pretty, print-y, flirty, with plenty of decorative flourish that says, “Notice me, as I romp through that young woman’s woodland of aspirational fabulousness”; golden butterflies in flight across tulle; hyper-fanciful “Zen” scarf cocktails; colorful fringing on hems, hips and handbags. Now, about that individuality angle – there was a certain high-wattage diversity at play; in the annals of gotta-have-it, one girl’s magenta gown with hydrangea-embroidered yoke is another girl’s gold suede romper. And amidst such visual fancy, a girl of more sedate persuasion could find a simple linen jacket and pants.

“Basically, it’s all about individuality,” von Furstenberg repeated. “Whatever little role I have, it’s to tell every woman to be the woman she wants to be.” Diane, they want to be that glorious, self-assured and worldly Fortuna. Fortuna. It’s Latin for DVF.