Henry Zankov Returns to DVF as Artistic Director

Henry Zankov, who founded his namesake label in 2020, has been appointed artistic director at Diane von Furstenberg and brought his Crayola-colored patterns back to the DVF headquarters—where he reunited with the brand last September for an exclusive capsule c

Henry Zankov enters Diane Von Furstenberg’s headquarters like he’s stepping into familiar light. He literally walks in—right back to the DVF building—carrying the Crayola-colored patterns that have become his visual signature. along with his own studio. newly moved from Brooklyn to the Meatpacking District.

It’s the studio’s first time inside these headquarters walls. For Zankov, it isn’t. He was appointed design director of knitwear around the mid 2010s under the creative direction of Jonathan Saunders. That earlier stint has now ended up feeding into a return: Zankov reunited with the brand last September for an exclusive capsule collection that debuted at Bergdorf Goodman.

His formal debut is scheduled for September, during New York Fashion Week. The appointment arrives in the middle of a shift that CEO Graziano de Boni has been driving—restructuring the company by pulling control back in-house and re-centering DVF’s identity after it had “drifted between versions of itself.” In a statement. de Boni said. “Henry brings fresh energy. a strong point of view. and cultural relevance for a new generation to discover DVF.”.

Von Furstenberg, 80 years old, appears to welcome the timing as much as the choice. Speaking to Vogue. she connected Zankov’s return to her own personal history with the house: “He and I. we come from the same tribe. ” she said. linking it to Chișinău—once part of the Kingdom of Romania and now the capital of Moldova.

DVF’s cultural footprint is inseparable from a few icons, and everyone knows the reference points. The brand will always be tied to the 1974 wrap dress. the jersey dresses. bold prints. and the strong. feminine. easy silhouettes that made the pieces feel wearable as well as unmistakable. Even Zankov’s approach is framed as something familiar—less about changing the DNA than about keeping it living.

To Vogue, he also outlines what he wants to bring back in the most practical way possible. He says he would love “ someone to come in and buy a cotton T-shirt. or a trench coat.” In his view. DVF is about more than categories and trends. “The 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. [..] I don’t think about this brand as necessarily just a fashion brand. I think it’s a brand about women. I mean, they come first. The person comes first.”.

All of it points to September as a moment of re-entry—into New York Fashion Week. into the brand’s own headquarters. and back toward a version of DVF that feels anchored rather than diluted. “September might as well be colorful. ” Zankov’s return makes you think. especially as the brand’s legacy continues to circulate through places like the 2024 documentary Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge.

Henry Zankov Diane von Furstenberg DVF artistic director New York Fashion Week knitwear knitwear design director Jonathan Saunders Bergdorf Goodman Graziano de Boni wrap dress fashion documentary Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge Crayola-colored patterns Meatpacking District studio moved from Brooklyn