Who are the artists that most inspire you? Therefore, you always have to change and adapt, but I love the freedom of being able to express myself and trying something out. On the other hand, sometimes you have a vision, draw it and imagine it as a garment, but then during development, it comes back quite differently. Often once fabrics arrive, we combine them in ways that we had previously not conceived. I’m simultaneously thinking about movement, silhouettes and shapes, but then the magic happens through the very spontaneous process of draping. The textiles, colours and mood of the collection inspire the design. How important is spontaneity in your process? Whereas most designers sketch then design, you drape textiles first and draw afterwards. How are you putting your twist on such a heritage brand?ĭVF has a wide audience, but I still always want to treat the product with a focus on craftsmanship, always remembering the beauty in the traditional techniques of screen printing but also pushing them forward into new developments of rich textile designs that add personality, individuality and value. Freedom is such an important attitude, especially these days, so I’m using this ideology to always push things into the future. So when I think of DVF, I think about the ideology of why it was founded – effortless clothes with imagination that allowed women to be free. The world is changing designers are about breadth, richness and newness. I never want the brand to be viewed as a souvenir, especially when it’s so closely associated with one dress: the wrap dress. Individuality and creativity need to be a part of any brand, so we elevate our textiles as much as we possibly can to marry tradition with innovation. Simplicity, movement and ease are some of the key aspects of DVF, but these aren’t just plain dresses. I describe it as a “textile house” because I feel textiles are an important part of the brand.

PHOTOGRAPH BY COLIN MILLER.Ĭan you speak to DVF’s legacy of printed textiles? Read on to discover the designer’s favourite works from the auction and the many parallels between his design process and printmaking. Given Saunders’s extensive background in prints, he was the perfect creative to lend his inimitable eye for colour and pattern to Sotheby’s April Prints & Multiples sale. “Such a strong part of the brand’s DNA and identity is about screen printing, which is very dear to my heart.” Since updating their logo and debuting his first DVF collection this past September, it’s clear Saunders, who recently was named Fashion Los Angeles’s Designer of the Year, is injecting DVF with an edge while maintaining a high level of craftsmanship. “I knew Diane for several years, and I’d always admired her understanding of women and her appreciation for how clothes make you feel,” says Saunders of his natural transition to taking the creative reins at DVF. Last year, Saunders closed his twelve-year-old namesake line and moved to New York to join Diane von Furstenberg as the heritage brand’s first chief creative officer. NEW YORK – After attending The Glasgow School of Art and Central Saint Martins and working for the likes of Alexander McQueen, Pucci and his eponymous company, Scottish designer Jonathan Saunders knows a thing or two about prints.

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