Diane von Furstenberg has just launched a new collection of bedding and tabletop designs for the home and last week I made a special trip to Bloomingdale’s to join her as she unveiled the line to the press. I always love to see the synergy between fashion and home come to life and since Diane is truly one of my personal style icons, I was beyond excited to see what she had in store. To me Diane represents the epitome of a beautiful confident woman. She is glamorous, feminine, forever chic and her new Diane von Furstenberg Home collection is the perfect extension of her personal style and her brand. The products are bold, colorful and drop dead gorgeous! At the event Diane walked everyone through her inspiration and descripbed how the collection came about. She believes one’s home should be a key element in “designing your life” and wanted to create a line of products that were vibrant and eclectic that would appeal to her young, fashion forward customer base but also stand the test of time as pieces they can keep forever. She took her inspiration from nature, contemporary art and of course some of her most iconic fashion prints that we’ve seen in her apparel collections over the years. Have a look at some of the photos I snapped and you can check out the Diane von Furstenberg Home collection at Bloomingdales.com and DVF.com.

Here are a few limited edition pillows made of vintage fabrics that I just loved!

This animal printed duvet is called Urban Jungle and is full of sex appeal. According to Diane, an animal print “turns an every day bed into a wild adventure!”

I thought the array of colors available in the sheeting range was fantastic! Diane designed the entire bedding collection to be mixed and matched so you can create unique combinations that match your personal style.

Here are some of the bold and colorful duvets that are part of the collection. So much thought was put into every detail…even down to how the products were merchandised. Diane believes duvets have the ability to change your room completely and designed hers to look and feel like dresses for the bed which is why she chose to have them displayed on hangers just as you would a dress! Throughout her short talk Diane definitely reveal a bit of her saucy side. She remarked that she thinks one should have as many duvet covers as you would like to have lovers! Someone also asked what the secret to making a sexy bed was and she replied “turn off the lights!”

Here are more of her ready-to-wear inspired duvets along with a colorful assemblage of pillows.

DVF’s chic tabletop pieces are equally as vibrant and colorful as her bedding. You’ll find everything from glazed dinnerware and lacquered trays to chic glassware, flatware, serving pieces and even bakeware.

Many of the pieces like this dinnerware seen here feature the same prints and patterns as her bedding collection. Her assortment of flatware is modern and chic. I especially loved this gold set.

An unique element element of DVF’s dinnerware is the incorporation of abstract geometric shapes like the “Funky Zebra” plate shown here. It provides a lovely contrast to the more traditional round shaped plates. Like her bedding, the DVF dinnerware is also designed to be mixed and matched.

Pops of metallic and gold detail add an element of glamour to her tabletop pieces as seen on these fabulous gold leaf and mango wood napkin rings.

These boldly hued resin serving utensils were another favorite of mine. DVF says that “a memorable evening is all about the setting. Set the table, set the stage and the evening takes care of itself.” Perfect entertaining advice!

“Your home reflects who you are, and how you want to live.”

-Diane Von Furstenberg

If you love the stylish hotel suites recently designed by Diane von Furstenberg for London’s Claridge’s hotel, then you’ll love this fabulous cashmere blanket that is currently available at DVF.com. It features the same berry and chocolate ikat print used in her Claridge’s project and is also available in two other colorways. Luxury certainly doesn’t come cheap though as this 100% cashmere blanket is quite pricey at $750. Available here.

Fashion designer and style icon Diane von Furstenberg can now add the title interior designer to her resume after the debut of 20 glamorous hotel suites she recently designed for Claridge’s hotel in London. In her first-ever interior design project, von Furstenberg developed bespoke fabrics, rugs, furniture and cashmere throws for the rooms in the historic art deco landmark hotel. The rooms are stunning with luxurious fabrics in bold geometric patterns, ikat prints and Chinese florals plus pops of bright color, lacquered surfaces  and – of course – plenty of animal prints, a von Furstenberg signature. The bathrooms are quite spectacular featuring rich marble surfaces and complete with plush DVF wrap robes. The suites also feature personalized touches like photos taken by von Furstenberg during her travels through Europe, Africa and Asia. I especially love the striking berry and chocolate colored ikat print sofa shown above which is covered in one of von Furstenberg’s custom fabrics. The DVF suites at Claridge’s are definitely fit for a princess. In fact the 5-star hotel is the only place where von Furstenberg (once married to German Prince Egon von Furstenberg) is still referred to as “your Highness!” Visit the Claridges website for room rates and reservations.



“Hotels are fantasy and they’ve just got to make you dream.” – Diane von Furstenberg

_{Photos: Claridge’s and DVF}

This just in…Fashion designer, CFDA President and all around style icon Diane von Furstenberg is launching a home collection! She is collaborating with Springs Global, a worldwide supplier of bed, bath and home fashion products. The licensing deal was announced yesterday and Von Furstenberg’s collection of  home accessories, bedding, bath and tabletop items will debut in select department and better specialty stores in Spring 2011. The designer’s first foray into the world of home was in the 1970s when she partnered with Sears on a line. That program did close to $100 million in sales, according to HFN. Von Furstenberg also partnered with The Rug Company in 2006 to design a line of signature carpets. I can’t wait to see her new products when they hit the market next year! I hear the line will be very textile driven, just like her fashion collections and I’m sure it will be as chic and sophisticated as she is!

_{Above, Diane Von Furstenberg’s designs for The Rug Company. Top photo by Douglas Friedman for Harper’s Bazaar}

This year I watched the entire broadcast of the Oscars and I actually thought the show was pretty entertaining. Rather surprising given that this year’s show almost didn’t happen due to the writer’s strike…not to mention the fact I that always find the Oscars to be such a bore. Usually I just watch the pre-show red carpet coverage and then tune-in to the last half hour to see who wins Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Picture. I’m very pleased this year’s Oscars surpassed my expectations! 

Anyway–One of Sunday’s more memorable Oscar moments, in my opinion, didn’t involve the actual show itself but rather a riveting commercial that premiered during the broadcast featuring one of my favorite fashion designers ever-Diane von Furstenberg. The commercial was for American Express and is part of their “Are You a Cardmember?” campaign which in the past has featured everyone from Kate Winslet, Tina Fey and Beyonce, to Tiger Woods, Martin Scorcese and Al Pacino. Truly one of the most amazing ad campaigns I’ve ever seen…both on TV and in print. And what a great choice to add DVF to the mix! I cannot tell you enough how talented, how chic and how fabulous I think this woman is!

The commercial was directed by Bennett Miller who garnered an Oscar nomination in 2005 for directing the film Capote. It features scenes of Diane outdoors surrounded by trees interspersed with scenes of her working alongside her team in her design studio on the Fall 2008 collection which she presented earlier this month during NY Fashion Week. The shots of the trees along with the close-ups of the prints on some of her garments reflect how Diane and her designs are influenced by the world around her. Her voice over, which narrates the commercial, is meant to inspire confidence in women while illustrating what it means to be an AMEX card member. Such a great commercial! Click play below to watch and enjoy!

Sidebar: This photo was in Sunday’s New York Daily News. It’s a shot of DVF with the gorgeous model Chanel Iman before her Fall ’08 show holding a sign that was posted backstage. Signs like these are displayed back stage at shows to set the tone of the show and convey to the models how they should walk. I LOVE that she’s all about confidence and being yourself. DVF, I heart you!!!