In the world of fashion, there are few figures as legendary as Diane von Furstenberg. While the 68-year-old, Belgian-born designer debuted her namesake brand in 1970, it was four years later that she truly revolutionized the modern woman's wardrobe with the introduction of her now-famous jersey wrap dress. By 1976, she had sold more than a year 10 formal dresses, introduced fragrances and cosmetics, and landed the cover of Newsweek—all before reaching her third decade.

She eventually sold both her dress design license and beauty line and moved to Paris where she started a publishing company. But von Furstenberg couldn't stay away from designing for long. In 1992, she boldly reentered the fashion business with Silk Assets, a lower-priced separates collection sold exclusively on QVC, the then-6-year-old shopping network in which her husband Barry Diller was an investor. Von Furstenberg's first QVC collection sold out within two hours, and over the course of four years, Silk Assets netted more than $40 million in sales.

The massive success of her partnership with QVC gave von Furstenberg the confidence to relaunch the DVF brand in 1997. This time, her target customers were the daughters of her original patrons—and they proved to be just as crazy about her easy-to-wear designs as the previous generation. Since its rebirth, DVF has expanded into shoes, handbags, jewelry, luggage and home goods, as well as tech accessories. (As a matter of fact, Google Glass made its New York Fashion Week debut on the DVF runway in 2012.)

In addition to growing her retail brand, von Furstenberg has remained a vocal proponent for women's rights (in 2010, she created the DVF Awards, presented annually to female leaders) and the American fashion industry (she has been president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America since 2006), among other causes.

Last year—in addition to publishing a memoir, The Woman I Wanted to Be—von Furstenberg embarked on yet another adventure: reality television. Currently in its second season, House of DVF, airing Sundays at 10 p.m. on the E! network, follows the designer and her team as they search for their next "brand ambassador," doling out life lessons along the way.

Meanwhile, von Furstenberg's company is now entering its own uncharted territory with the arrival of its first CEO, former Tory Burch and Valentino executive Paolo Riva.

Adweek spoke to von Furstenberg about her plans for the future, the challenges of reaching millennial consumers and what it takes to maintain a global fashion empire.

Adweek: Since relaunching your brand in 1997, your distribution has expanded to more than 1,500 points of sale in 55 countries. How do you maintain a successful global brand while staying true to the all-American DVF image?

Diane von Furstenberg: The truth is that I was a brand before we knew what a brand was. I started my company with a dress, and I did not know what I wanted to do, but I knew the woman I wanted to be. I became that woman through that dress, and all of a sudden, I became a brand. Looking back, I was always obsessed with coherence. If everything that you have done reflects the same thing, then you know you're successful in your life. Celebrating freedom, empowering women and inspiring confidence is what I am about as a person and as a brand. So that's one [part of the brand]. The other part is mentoring. I speak to young women's groups and I tell women that you have to be the woman you want to be. That's what I promote. So I guess that how you maintain a global brand is with as much honesty and authenticity, coherence and sincerity as possible.

How do you keep that message consistent when you're speaking to people in so many different countries and cultures?

Every woman relates to the DVF woman. If people ask me what do I want to be remembered for when I die, I would like to be remembered as someone who reminded every woman she could be the woman she wants to be. That's my ambition.

Tell me about how you see the brand's global footprint evolving.

Right now, I am at the beginning of my third phase. The first phase was "American Dreams" and then it was "the Comeback Kid" and now it's "Legacy." So how do you institute that? I'm setting up a new team. I wrote a book. I did the [much-hailed "Journey of a Dress"] exhibition [which was staged in Asia, the Middle East, South America and the U.S. last year to mark the 40th anniversary of the iconic wrap dress] because I wanted to look back at the past. And so now it's really in the hands of a whole team of people knowing the past, knowing what we stand for and how do we relay that message to the millennials. That is how we're building the future.

How do you keep a legacy brand relevant?

You stay relevant by putting the young woman in the center of everything. It's always the young women who bring their mothers back. After I relaunched my company, I started with a whole new generation. It comes very naturally for me to understand that. And you know, what I stood for back then is still very much relevant to what girls want today.

This year, you brought on Paolo Riva as CEO. Why was he the right person for the job?

I was looking for either a CEO or a creative director with a business mind. I interviewed a lot of people who were already CEOs, and finally my husband said, "You're looking at it wrong. You should look for the new superstar, the one who is not a CEO yet." And then I met Paolo and that was it. He was trained as a banker. He's a very strong businessman. He was part of a big consulting group. But then he realized that he loves product and he loves fashion, so he became a merchant. And now he is truly a merchant. So for me, it's the ideal situation.

You've spoken about how you see Paolo as your successor. And yet, you're such an integral part of the brand. How do you see your own role changing?

I am the face of the brand and to some degree I'll still be the face of the brand even when I'm not there, but I'm always looking ahead and I want to be able to put this company in the hands of a leader and a new team and detach myself a little bit. I will still be influential. I know that I still want to agitate the magic wand and show everyone that I'm relevant and make sure that they have the right connections. But I've reached a point in my life where I want to use a bigger voice, and I have a very big platform now. When you're successful, two things happen: One is that you have financial independence, which is great, and two, you have a voice. And if you have a voice, it's your obligation and your privilege to use your voice for people who have no voice.

There have been rumors that one reason you hired Paolo was because you plan to take the company public. Any status update on that?

Not right now. We are very, very happy that the family owns the company 100 percent and it gives me an enormous amount of flexibility. We are going to make major changes and some things will be very much out of the box, and I feel so privileged that I will be able to do that precisely because I can take those risks. What will happen later, we'll see.

One of your other projects is your E! show, House of DVF. Why did you decide to do a reality show? It's not like you need brand exposure.

It was one way of reaching [millennials]. Strangely enough, the period of my life that I remember the most is that age between 22 and 30. That's when I did everything: I got married [to first husband Egon von Furstenberg], I had two children, I moved to America, I started the company, and I was a huge success. I did all of that before I was 30. And therefore, talking to girls that age is very important to me. I relate to them, and I also feel it's so great because that's the moment when if you say one thing, you open a door and their lives could change.

How important is social media in marketing to millennials? Do you feel that it's become more effective than traditional advertising for fashion brands?

Yes, and not just for millennials. Listen, I am happy that I was old enough to have danced in Studio 54 and young enough to have been part of the digital revolution. My iPad is my best friend. One thing that is so exciting about this generation of millennials is that all of them feel that they are a brand. So how do you talk to them if you are an established brand? It's all very interesting. And that's another reason why [doing House of DVF] is also good. It's important for me to hear what [the contestants] have to say.

You've always been a big supporter of technology in fashion, whether it's using Google Glass on the runway or introducing tech accessories before most other designers had begun to.

Yes, I've been very, very excited about technology. It's very much part of what we're doing, which is all solution driven. I think we will no longer discuss technology and fashion as two separate things. Technology is so much a part of our life that we don't think about it that way anymore.

There has been criticism that fashion's adoption of tech sometimes feels forced. Do you think that's true?

I don't think it's forced. I mean, at the beginning, I don't know, but now technology is part of our lives. So not using it seems unthinkable.

You were an early adopter of mass retail collaborations, specifically the QVC collection you did in 1992. Was that considered a shocking move for a designer at the time?

Yes, at the time. It was a revolution. My husband had just left Fox [and purchased a stake in QVC], and when he first went in there and saw the television screen being used in an interactive way, for him, it just opened a whole new horizon. It was a major thing for both of us.

In recent years, though, DVF hasn't really taken part in the high-low trend. Why is that?

I've always put myself in a niche where the value and price is always good. I've never been very expensive, and that's where I want to stay.

Your retail footprint has been expanding quite rapidly; there are now 132 DVF stores around the world. How important is brick and mortar to your global business?

Retail is important for many, many reasons. It is important because [our stores] are like little embassies. It's all about harmony. But all that is changing. There will be a big shift in [our retail strategy] in the next year.

What can you tell me about that strategy? Are there any areas that you're looking to expand into, whether it's reintroducing beauty products or adding more lifestyle products?

Oh, yes, yes, yes, very much so. We really want to focus on this millennial woman who is active. The baby boomers were a huge generation for us, but the millennials are even bigger. When I started as a young woman, I wanted it all, and I wanted it in a very simple, easy, effortless way. And that is where the concept of my accessory line and my clothing is going to go. At every brand, you lose yourself at some point, you know. People get comfortable with what they sell. But sometimes you need to shake it up. And now is the time I'm beginning to shake it up again.

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1. Beautifully boho. Embrace those light, airy patterns, billowing skirts and dresses, and beautiful bell sleeves--boho is here to stay! Boho is everywhere this fall--from shirts to skirts to QueenieAustralia bridesmaid dresses to bags and more!! We love to pair a boho off-the-shoulder shirt with a pair of flared jeans and a killer pair of booties, or a boho dress with a rope belt, loose waves, and booties!

2. Sparkle and shine. Who doesn't love a little sparkle? Sparkles and sequins are super on trend this season--whether you're going out for a night on the town or dancing the night away at a wedding, sweet sixteen, or other social event. We're seeing heavy sparkles and sequins on dresses, shirts, skirts, bags, and shoes. Feel free to go for a totally blinged out look and dress yourself in glitter head-to-toe, or pair a sparkly or sequined top with a pencil skirt, skinny jeans, or leather leggings.

3. Show your wild side. Take a ride to the wild side with pops of leopard in your wardrobe! We're seeing leopard everywhere this fall, but our favorite way to rock this trend is to add pops of it to an outfit. We love adding a leopard scarf or pair of shoes to an all black outfit, and using a leopard bag and shoes with a red dress for a hot and sexy look!

4. Pattern play. Mixing and matching patterns has becoming more and more popular, and is now all over this season! We're seeing lots of stripes paired with solids or other patterns. Want to be a trend guru? Pair a striped dress with a leopard scarf and leopard flats!

5. Lace it up. Fashion is a cycle, and we're cycling right on back to Victorian lace! Lace turtleneck shirts and dresses that button all the way up are becoming a staple to every girl's wardrobe. We love to pair a lace turtleneck with a pair of high-waisted flare jeans with wedged booties and a glossy lip for an effortlessly chic look!

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Against the backdrop of a typical Italian village, Dolce & Gabbana took fashionistas on holiday with a spring collection that paid tribute to the designer duo’s home country.

Showcasing at Milan Fashion Week at the weekend, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana decorated dresses with all things Italian, from Venice’s gondoliers to gelato stands. Dresses looked like postcards, some with messages reading “Kisses from Rome” and “Greetings from Naples”.

Under a banner reading “Italia is Love”, a mock fruit stand, restaurant and ceramics shop decorated the catwalk. Songs in praise of Italy played and models stopped midway on the catwalk to take selfies on phones.

Known for their use of embellishments, the designers used an array of colours, sequins, gems, pom-poms and appliqués for their spring/ summer 2016 collection.

Beach umbrellas and landmarks such as Pisa’s leaning tower and Florence’s cathedral were among the decorations, alongside embroidered daisies and poppies, adorning summer dresses.

Several trouser suits were also decorated with intricate floral embroidery, while silk pyjama-style shirts and trousers were striped.

Long silk dresses bore prints of Sorrento’s lemons or Sicily’s ceramics and were accentuated with scarves worn as turbans.

Models wore bejewelled sunglasses and embellished headpieces, some like headphones, covered in fruit decorations.

Handbags, and small baskets, were also rich in detail, as were see-through socks that had sparkling embellishments.

For the show’s finale, models changed into short dresses, made to look like postcards from cities and holiday spots across Italy – from San Remo in the north to the Almafi Coast.

There were also silk floaty dresses and embroidered designs at Etro’s spring/ summer 2016 catwalk show.

The romantic collection included plisse and tiered skirts, wrap-like tops, long and short frilly dresses as well as bomber jackets.

A nod to dancing was evident in footwear – ballerina flats had laces, while high flat boots were tied at the front.

Meanwhile Donatella Versace sent models down the catwalk in belted dark green and sand army jackets.

Shorts suits, also bearing animal prints, were worn with bandeau tops.

Offering a youthful take on a brand known for bold animal prints, Peter Dundas presented his debut collection as creative director of Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli.

He cut sleeves off denim jackets and coloured them in pastels, teaming them with skin-tight or looser trousers.

Other denim jackets were short or oversized with plaits running down the sides.

Dundas kept up the trademark animal prints by putting lions’ faces on knits and dresses. Zebra print featured on gilets and mini dresses.

The designer also tied large bows on one-shoulder crop tops, and embroidered tassels across his denim creations and dresses.

The palette was mainly pastel pinks, peach, lilac and terracotta, turquoise and black and white.

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The Emmy’s picked up where New York Fashion week left off, showing the world the best dresses designers have to offer this fall fashion season.

The tone of the style was one of high fashion and elegance as the actresses and actors walked across the esteemed red carpet. There were many reports on the heat wave that struck LA, bringing the high on Sunday to 96 degrees. Seeing some of those dresses, one cannot imagine the temperature in Lisa Kudrow’s velvet Max Mara suit or the metallic long-sleeved Naeem Khan gown worn by Christina Hendricks.

Like previous Emmy shows, the dresses were simple and classic. Few dresses were able to break free from the pack, making sure to assimilate into the mix of jewel tones and sharp silhouettes.

Kerry Washington’s Marc Jacobs ensemble received high praise and it is easy to understand why. Unlike Marc Jacobs designs completed through his other brand at the House of Louis Vuitton, this design is classic and sharp. The dress is cocktail style with three-quarter length sleeves and is woven with sequins. The true beauty of the design lies within the adorned shoulder pads and brocaded bottom. The back is equally adorned with a keyhole cutout.

Had Renée Bargh left the turtle neck portion of her dress at home, it would have been just as stunning and worthy of a best-dressed nomination. Equally distressing were the lace-up heels that made her look like she was heading more into a gladiator battle than a major awards show.

Padma Lakshmi’s dress was good in practice, as the effortless mermaid design with a slight train completed the old Hollywood glamour look designer Romona Keveza was going for. The color, however, was less than flattering and was akin to the same shade as Play-Doh.

Yellow seemed to be the color this season for bad dresses. Heidi Klum’s Versace number reminded me of the Saturday mornings spent watching Sesame Street, except I’m sure Klum paid more than Big Bird for her feathers. The design is a piece of art that should

The best dress for design, style and look would have to be, for me, Gina Rodriguez in Lorena Sarbu. The color was a standout in the delicate blush palate selected, with a sweetheart neckline and jewel adorned bodice. The placement of tulle flowers on her skirt combined the old school glamour of the 20s with the new age modernity of today. The flow of the dress when she walked also added major points, as she seemed to float with each step she took.

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LONDON — Pay no attention to the men behind the curtain!

The eagerly anticipated spring 2016 show by Erdem began with low giggles from the crowd on Monday afternoon as a platform bearing models was pushed down the long length of a brown, be- fuzzed runway at the King’s Cross Theater by subterranean crewmen. A leaflet on the seat arm containing a detail from the Andrew Wyeth painting “Christina’s World” gave a hint of what was to come.

Erdem Moralioglu, the half-Turkish favorite of the British Fashion Council chairwoman Natalie Massenet, would be drawing from naturalistic Americana.

There was, indeed, a feeling of the open prairie in black ribbons tied around necks and Mr. Moralioglu’s homemade-looking frills, exquisite floral prints and bared shoulders and elbows. But as it also was as dark as the Little House in the Big Woods after sunset, it was frankly difficult to assess the dresses.

As the models bottlenecked at the foot of a staircase during the finale, leading up to another platform across which they had to tromp in high heels and then, carefully, descend in their swishing midi-length pinafores, one couldn’t help thinking of a surely unintentional resonance with Mr. Wyeth’s crippled subject.

The more thoughtfully illuminated Mary Katrantzou showed a dazzling collection at her alma mater, Central Saint Martins, on Sunday evening.

On-the-ground, around-the-clock dispatches from the spring 2016 shows, brought to you by the editors of Styles and T.

Many question the point of fashion shows, especially now that they are streamed around the world instantly: a hundred thousand points of light. But Ms. Katrantzou’s intricately patchworked creations were a reminder that if the work is this good, it is cheapened and flattened by photographs. Seeing it in person is like the difference between visiting a planetarium and lying under the unpolluted nighttime sky.

This comparison occurs, perhaps, because Ms. Katrantzou’s clothes were cosmology-themed (and how refreshing to have a designer guided by cosmology, not cosmetology — or worse, astrology). Yet while regarding their complex and sometimes floral iridescence in the blue- floored hall before reading the program notes, I flashed on ocean depths and the colorful creatures that dart and lurk around the waving plants there.

Like Mr. Moralioglu, Ms. Katrantzou offered basically one dress silhouette, sometimes layered over pants or ribbed toeless tights: short enough to expose the knees, and flared. There was bohemian quilting, and channeling — of graphic lace and metallic thread, not psychic vibes (though she also invoked Rorschach blots and Ariadne’s thread).

A few of the skirts had stiff ruffles attached at the sides. “Fins are the new peplums!” I thought, grasping excitedly for trendlets as I remembered a similar treatment on the skirts of the more accessible Holly Fulton, whose show was earlier in the week. The fins popped up again the next morning when Roksanda Ilincic, the queen of colorblocking, ventured into uncharacteristically ethereal territory this season with pink and yellow formal dresses for her Roksanda label.

While fashion used to be a school of fish all swimming in the same direction — hemlines up or down — it’s now more like a tropical aquarium, with its flamboyant occupants jostling to nibble at the rock.

Vivienne Westwood used her Red Label show, as is her custom, to make a political statement: lining staff members in colored paper crowns on a balcony, hoisting placards protesting fracking, climate and austerity measures.

“This is a ridiculous and pathetic parody of what it used to be,” a voice intoned over the loudspeaker, alluding, one assumes, to the compliantly clicking and posting assemblage below. But the fact is, for all the strenuous subversion, this was still a fashion show, with spectators tweeting and Instagramming the designer’s clothes along with the political messages. They were fine examples of the Westwood standard: the draped 1940s-ish necklines, knit corsetry and lean pantsuits.

But if she really wants to fight climate change, perhaps it’s time to pull out of the fashion cycle and just sell from her rich and copious vintage archives.

At noon on Sunday, in a specially constructed house of mirrors near Central Saint Martins, Jonathan Saunders staged his show under a blazing sun that singed some editors’ scalps. This season he is fond of orange and yellow, splicing slipdresses on the diagonal and tying loose scarves around the hips and neck. A print specialist, Mr. Saunders was attempting kimono-like ease, throwing in stripes, spots, brocade and kaleidoscopic bursts for his famous, heat-seeking clients. But the overall effect was floppy, even sloppy, when compared with Ms. Fulton’s rigorous tailoring of similar fabrics.

At Preen, too, there were prints in profusion: skirts in a modern, graphic gingham and floral dresses worn with flats, the models mechanically circling the rotunda of City Hall in their flat footwear as if they were planning on taking over the government.

When the roving eye of London Fashion Week needs to rest from such pattern play, it turns with relief to Margaret Howell, who showed her typically crisp, no-nonsense style on Sunday morning at the home of Rambert, the contemporary dance company. Fall is more Ms. Howell’s season than spring, I feel, given her preference for neutrals and cozy cardis — but here she gamely produced paperbag waists in a poppy palette and plenty of white cotton, cut with lime. It was the sartorial equivalent of a dry gin and tonic.

Pringle of Scotland is a label that, like many others in Britain and elsewhere, has been trying to capitalize on its heritage — I mean, talk about a cozy cardi! But only the faintest traces of this were evident in its ready-to-wear collection. Intimations of argyle showed up in a long cream-colored sheath dress whose fabric looked almost Miyake-like, and two of the models carried bags that could have doubled as tea cozies.

The rest of the collection, with its loosely knit fisherman knits and raffia- looking vests, might have been ripped from the chorines of “Mamma Mia!” — still playing in London, at a theater oblivious to fashion’s many small dramas.

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Tracy Reese has brought a touch of color, prints and, not to mention, diversity to the fashion industry for almost 20 years now. She's known for her unapologetic love of a having a dress-up moment, full skirts, and taffeta dresses on any given occassion. Her Spring 2016 collection had even more of that girly feel with more lace and sparkle than usual, but with deconstructed shapes and less structure, giving it a fresh take.

Tracy Reese's signature unique prints are crafted into joyful, feminine pieces for the modern woman. More than most designers, Reese is committed to bringing out the beauty in women of all shapes, sizes and colors. And with over 4 lines—Tracy Reese, Tracy Reese Black Label, plenty by Tracy Reese, and plenty DRESSES by Tracy Reese—she's made a blueprint of how to build a successful empire. We talked with Reese about her Spring 2016 collection, her thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement and her collaboration with Sarah Jessica Parker's line, SJP.

Your inspiration for this Spring 2016 collection had an image of the police marked with the word ‘transparency.' How did that translate into a fashion collection for you?

Two things really just came together. One the collection was really inspired by transparency but this is fashion and we live in a special little bubble and the world is going on outside of that bubble. We just have to stay aware and keep issues that are important to us present and in the forefront. We really thought about transparency and texture, and how to move the clothing away from the body a little bit but still feel gorgeous and feminine and mysterious. All the things we want to be.

You’ve been designing for nearly 20 years now! How do you keep it fresh and come with a new mindset for every collection?

On the one hand, it’s just whatever is happening today affects how you look at things and your own personal progression. But it’s my job to stay inspired and I’m always looking, but I am also trying to think of how can I do something better. Sometimes just the sheer challenge of wanting to find a better way to do whatever it is that I’m doing, the sheer challenge of it motivates me and inspires me.

What was it like working on the accessories together, and how did it all come together?

We have talked about collaborating before, and we finally got to do it this season. We’re like minded when it comes to color, texture and sparkle. They were awesome—we sat down and threw some ideas back and forth, and looked at some of her favorite styles, we brought down some fabrics and pieces from the clothing into the accessories and we just jumped in and got it done.

Sarah Jessica Parker: As a longtime admirer of Ms. Reese, it's a great delight to have this opportunity to partner with her. I find myself frequently wearing her designs not only because her dresses are so easy and comfortable, but because I simply love the way she uses color. It's no secret that color is one of the pillars of the SJP Collection, and collaborating on these particular shoes with her has been a delight. I feel very fortunate to see our shoes walk the runway with her gorgeous collection.

Reese: It’s been wonderful working with Sarah Jessica on this collaboration! The feminine, colorful, beautifully embellished styles in her collection are completely in sync with our brand DNA. I’m happy to see our two brands walk down the runway together!

What do you like to wear on a normal day when you’re going to the studio and designing?

I wear sneakers a lot—but I do like to wear heels. I really like comfortable slouchy pants and a t-shirt but at the heart I love a good dramatic dress.

Your prints are your signature, what's your favorite from this collection?

The opening print, oleander dreamscape. It takes me to an amazing field of yellow flowers and the sun coming through.

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The 40th-annual Renaissance Ball ofthe Oklahoma City Museum of Art catered to the young (40-ish, that is) and, in lieu of the traditional orchestra for dancing, party chairpersons Bob and Heather Ross chose to fly in the noted DJ Lucy Wrubel to provide the music. Even the “older” partygoers stayed until after midnight, swinging and stomping to the music.

Must have driven Jim and Genea Vallion, who had provided the floral décor, crazy because they had to take down all of the decorations and collect tablecloths, napkins and chairs that night since Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club had a different “do” the next day.

Trochta’s created giant balls – bigger than basketballs – of white carnations on tall crystal vases for the dining tables. Two even bigger balls in red and white flowers were suspended over the bars for the young’uns who didn’t come in until 9:30 p.m. to dance and nibble on hors d’oeuvres at “Late Night.” The patrons had a seated dinner and others mostly leaned on small cocktail tables. Beyond the multi-lighted wall in the center room was a large white tent to cover the dancing area.

Most of the men donned their slick black tuxedos and many ladies chose gorgeous formal gowns. online formal dresses also were seen.

Theme of the evening, “Living Art,” was carried out by four students from the Wanda Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University. Two singers and two instrumentalists wandered among the tables entertaining the diners.

Each year civic leaders who have been especially supportive of the museum are honored at the Renaissance Ball. The 2015 honorees were Jeaneen Naifeh and her late husband, Robert Z. Naifeh. Museum President Michael Whittington did his best to get the guests quieted down for the presentation of Jeaneen, but they were just having too much fun.

The food was delicious and I loved the salad. It included kale, which I’d never eaten before. The wines were from Dick Sias’ California winery. (That is, his former vineyard. He’s sold it to Harold Hamm’s daughter. A lot of the nonprofits who depended on Sias to donate wines to their benefits are really going to miss Dick.)

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It's been less than a week since Zang Toi caused gasps with his white wove

n hats and flowing ocean hued gowns at his Spring/Summer 2016 New York Fashion Week show, and he's already getting ready for the next phase.

"Hearing that even after being in this business for 26 years makes me want to work even harder," said Toi, 54, who lives in New York. "I say, 'You should work hard while they still want you.'"

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The Malaysian-born fashion powerhouse pictured here is bringing his well received "Splendor of Santorini" collection to town Saturday night.

Saks Fifth Avenue has partnered with the Tampa Museum of Art to host a showing of Toi's work at its 6th annual CITY: Fashion Art Culture. The next day, he'll host a trunk show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Saks store in Sarasota's The Mall at University Town Center.
 

The CITY event, for which tickets start at $150, will give patrons a night of music, dancing, hors d'oevres and interaction with a The House of Toi collection, tailored in crisp whites and serene turquoise/blues evocative of Toi's first trip to Santorini, Greece.

"The first thing you notice there is the beautiful white architecture against the backdrop of the blues and greens of the Mediterranean. That gave me the inspiration for the first 10 looks, the clean white suits and separates," Toi said. "I'm glad to find out that it's on trend, but I don't pay too much attention to what other designers are doing."

Following his Sept. 11 show, customers were clamoring to order his expertly rendered woven hats and crystal necklaces right off the runway.

"We'll be selling those on special order," he said. "Two women ordered them immediately saying they had to have the hat."

The designer is happy to be still in demand in a fashion landscape getting fresh infusions of talent every year.

"I think competition is good," Toi said. "It's healthy. It makes you want to work harder. This industry is hard. It's like being an actor in Hollywood. If you want to make it, you have to work extra hard to turn that dream into a reality."

As alum of Parsons School of Design, Toi hasn't been back to talk to students in more than five years but he imparts wisdom when he can on the new faces he meets.

"My advice to aspiring young designers is to never be a afraid to live your own way and have your own vision," he said. "No matter how creative you are, you need to be business-savvy to make it in this industry."

After stopping in Florida, Toi and his team will be taking the line around the country for trunk shows.

"I won't be back in New York for three weeks," he explained.

Don't feel sorry for him just yet. His next collection will be inspired by his upcoming Christmas vacation to the French Alps.

Tampa Museum of Art's 2015 CITY: Fashion, Art, Culture event begins at 7 p.m. Saturday. It includes an open bar cocktail reception, hors d'oevres, fashion presentation and dancing. The VIP reception happens from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Zang Toi's runway show will begin at 9 p.m. $150 to $250. tampamuseum.org/museum-events.

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Deron Shields knew the only way for him to make it in the fashion industry was to move from Baltimore to New York City.

Since he graduated from Baltimore Community College in 2006 with a degree in apparel technology, he's exceeded his expectations, landing internships and sewing jobs with household names such as Vera Wang, Zac Posen, Rachel Roy and Cynthia Rowley. On Tuesday, the 30-year-old will premiere his collection for the first time in New York Fashion Week as a designer.

Shields, who is pursuing a degree in fashion design at the Art Institute in New York City, is one of 12 designers chosen to showcase their designs during the annual Art Institute runway show.

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The show highlights the work of the school's top students. With professional models and hair and makeup artists among the backdrop of New York Fashion Week, this is a full-on production.

"To work with models that are industry standard is amazing," he said. "I would love to do this every day. It's a dream come true."

Shields immediately caught the attention of the faculty at the Art Institute.

"Deron was an easy choice for our Spring 2016 show," said Mai Vu, interim director of the department of fashion design. "His work ethic, enthusiasm and attention to detail, in addition to his talent, made him not only a perfect candidate for inclusion in the show, but one to watch in seasons to come."

This isn't Shields' first brush with the spotlight.

In 2012, he was cast as a sewing expert on Lifetime Television's "24 Hour Catwalk." During the reality show, he showed off his skills before industry leaders such as Alexa Chung, James LaForce, Derek Blasberg and Rowley. That experience led him to stints with top designers.

"It was a great experience," he said. "These are all people I aspire to be like."

Shields said his sewing technique has evolved leaps and bounds with his New York City work experience. That craftsmanship is reflected in his collection.

"I have one piece with over 200 hand-sewn ruffles," he said. "Another dress has over 400 hand-sewn ruffles. Those pieces are pretty amazing. I've really impressed myself."

Shields has come a long way from his Baltimore roots, raised by his grandmother in the city's Highlandtown neighborhood.

"I was bullied as a child," he said. "As an adult, to see people gravitate to my style and energy is a great feeling."

He remembers having to steal expensive fashion magazines from the supermarket as a youngster because his grandmother wouldn't purchase them.

"I was 11, and I picked up my first copy of Harper's Bazaar. I saw my first Valentino ball gown," Shields said. "He has been one of my favorite designers ever since."

Now Shields hopes that everyone will appreciate the strides he's made in the fashion industry.

"I want to shed some positive light on Baltimore," he said. "Not everything and everyone from Baltimore is negative."

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The costume designer Arianne Phillips was in London in late February when she heard through the grapevine about a designer who was just beginning to get people’s attention: Alessandro Michele.

The 42-year-old Roman had just shown two collections in quick succession after his appointment as Gucci creative director and suddenly found himself the toast of the fashion world.

This story first appeared in the September 9, 2015 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.

Meanwhile, Phillips, an in-demand costume designer for the movies, a veteran of Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” and an Academy Award nominee for “Walk the Line,” had just started preparing for her biggest project of the year: the months-long, all-consuming head trip known as a Madonna world tour.

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In a nice bit of kismet, or a psychic connection, Michele himself was somewhere in Florence working, unprompted, on a gift for Madonna when Phillips reached out to Gucci to contribute costumes to the tour.

“The energy was just out there,” Phillips says.

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When Madonna opens her “Rebel Heart” tour on Sept. 9 in Montreal, she will do so in Michele’s Gucci. And Prada and Jeremy Scott’s Moschino and Alexander Wang and Fausto Puglisi. Pop stars “collaborate,” to borrow an overused phrase, with designers all the time, mainly on red-carpet appearances.

But few can command at will, or use as prominently, marquee designers like these quite like the Material Girl, a unique position she’s enjoyed ever since she made a certain Parisian enfant terrible synonymous with a cone bra. More so than her peers, or her wannabes, Madonna has made high fashion an integral part of her music videos and tours, bestowing on designers the full force of her megawatt celebrity. Has anyone else worn Givenchy to the Super Bowl? When she calls, designers listen.

“She opened the door for all the pop girls out there today, many of whom I dress and who do respect her and give her props,” says Scott. “We all owe her a debt of gratitude.”

Plus, haven’t you heard her latest single? “She’s Madonna!” says Alexander Wang. “It goes without explanation, she’s iconic.” Michele adds simply: “I am crazy about her.”

A couple of weeks ago, Phillips was on her way to Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, N.Y., where Madonna is rehearsing, to work on costumes that were still not quite finished. Wang, for instance, was making alterations to his look, a long-sleeve mini in basketball mesh, because of last-minute changes in the production. Gucci had its last fitting a week later.

“For her, the performance comes first. She has to be able to dance and move and feel comfortable in it,” Wang says.

“[Madonna] doesn’t really finalize any of the designs until 100 percent of the choreography is set,” Phillips says. “It’s a real back-and-forth conversation and it’s a brutal process for most fashion designers. You’re hanging in the balance while all the practical aspects are worked out, like the choreography and the quick-changes.”

Not that Phillips sounds concerned. She’s gone through five of these marathons, each one larger than the last — this one has 28 performers; an average of 10 costume changes for 20 dancers, six for the background singers, four for the band and Madonna’s own eight full looks — and she knows it always comes down to the last minute.

By now, she’s been working on the tour on and off since December, when she organized her design team. She didn’t reach out to designers until April, when a working set list and the show’s usual four-act structure began to take shape.

Madonna’s conduit to the industry, Phillips is a longtime insider who can play the boss’ eyes and ears on the street and intuit her wishes. It was her job to design most of the show and then figure out the flourishes, which old collaborators to leave out and which new ones — accessories designers Lynn Ban and the Brit Rachel Freire — to bring into the fold.

“A stylist is like being a yenta. My job is finding out what’s relevant and what’s appropriate for the story Madonna’s trying to tell,” Phillips says.

She took the reins of the first act — a Joan of Arc-inspired section similar to the Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott-lensed cover art of the “Rebel Heart” album — and devised a series of costumes referencing liturgical fabrics and a recent exhibition of samurai armor at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Dancing nuns on stripper poles also make an appearance during this act. It wouldn’t be a Madonna show otherwise.

Miuccia Prada, who created original Prada and Miu Miu footwear for previous tours, was asked to design costumes as well this time around for the show’s second section. Her response? Rockabilly

meets Tokyo.

“Nothing we do is literal. Everything is a mash-up,” Phillips says.

It’s in the third act, the Latin quarter if you will, that things get really twisted. Puglisi and the Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran created more of the same matador-inspired looks that appeared in the music video and live performances of single “Living for Love.” But then, there’s the showstopper: Michele.

After finding out about him, Phillips inhaled his first two collections for Gucci: “I was completely blown away. I love his hand. His clothes are lyrical and feminine and they tell stories. I didn’t know him, but I felt there would be this synergy to have them together.” Boy, was there.

Michele imagines Madonna in full-blown “La Isla Bonita” mode, a mysterious gypsy wrapped in her fringed manila shawl, hiding behind her flamenco hat, lace and jacquard bodysuit and multicolor skirt.

“That’s a real highlight,” Phillips says breathlessly. Michele might have been working on his spring show simultaneously, but he had to make time for Madonna: “Now that I have had the chance to see her working, I truly understand why she is so grand!” he says, just as breathlessly.

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To end things with a bang, Madonna enlisted Jeremy Scott, fashion’s resident club kid, for the party section. She has worked with Scott intermittently since the early Aughts, but perhaps picking up on his ascendance in the public eye since his appointment at Moschino — not to mention his relationship with Miley Cyrus, et al — she brought him back into her orbit to work recently on several high-profile looks, including ones for her “Bitch I’m Madonna” music video.

“Madonna is often like a director,” he says, comparing her to younger pop starlets. “She has a vision and you get behind her to achieve that vision.”

Scott’s mandate was to come up with an homage to Harlem-flapper-meets-Paris-in-the-Twenties and several weeks after their joint appearance at the Costume Institute gala, he had the look: a blinding finale dress employing thousands of Swarovski crystals because, Scott says, “no showgirl would be complete without crystals.”

Phillips has finished recounting all the costumes and late nights in the run-up to the opening when she arrives on Long Island. Before she goes in, she pauses to savor the spectacle of that Moschino sparkler.

“We don’t need a disco ball,” she says. “We have Madonna in costume.”

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