A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, who immigrated with his family to New Jersey as a child, Zankov credits his time at DVF for shaping his love of color, which he showcases in the playful knitwear-forward brand<\/a> he launched in 2020. He\u2019ll continue to operate his namesake label, the studio of which he\u2019s moved from its former Brooklyn base to DVF\u2019s meatpacking district headquarters. In a meeting at the office last week, he was surrounded by mood boards pinned with artwork, interiors photos, and magazine tear sheets showcasing the DVF signatures of color, print, movement. \u201cWe all know the brand has hit a nerve with women over the decades,\u201d he reflected. \u201cIt has such a strong vocabulary, not just visual, but even a psychological vocabulary, you could say, and I feel there\u2019s so much potential here.\u201d<\/p>\n Von Furstenberg introduced her famous wrap dress in 1974, just as second wave feminism was taking hold and a new generation of women were entering the work force. Over the decades, the dress\u2019s simple, yet sexy construction\u2014slip it on, tie it at the waist, and go\u2014has come to stand for freedom and even female entrepreneurship. In 2024, Von Furstenberg was the subject of a documentary, Diane Von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge<\/a>,<\/em> that opened the Tribeca Film Festival.<\/p>\n While the wrap dress is the beating heart of the brand, Zankov sees beyond it. \u201cI would love someone to come in and buy a cotton T-shirt, or a trench coat,\u201d he said. \u201cThe thing about DVF is that the pieces all have to be made and designed in a way where they feel really effortless. The garments have to feel substantial, but also light.\u201d His philosophy is taking shape: \u201cI don\u2019t think about this brand as necessarily just a fashion brand, I think it\u2019s a brand about women. I mean, they come first. The person comes first.\u201d<\/p>\n Von Furstenberg, who will turn 80 at the end of this year and now spends much of her time in Venice, Italy, finds assurance in Zankov\u2019s four years at the label in the 2010s. Plus, she noted, \u201che and I, we come from the same tribe.\u201d Both designers can trace their roots to Chi\u0219in\u0103u, which was once part of the Kingdom of Romania, and is now the capital of Moldova. Has she offered Zankov any advice? \u201cDiane says it differently, but it\u2019s exactly what I say in my own way,\u201d he said. \u201cYou know, it\u2019s about ease and effortlessness and intention.\u201d<\/p>\n
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