4 Fashion Lessons from Our Style Hero, Diane von Furstenberg

By Tracey Lomrantz,Glamour magazine

Diane von Furstenberg-that's DVF to you, dahling-has fashion tips every bit as colorful as the printed dresses she's obsessed the world with since 1972. She spilled 'em to us for our new Master Class section in the pages of Glamour's March 2011 issue, so dig in:


1. Balance Prints With Solids
"It's how to make patterns less scary," says DVF. "You could wear all solids and carry a print bag, or carry a solid bag and wear a megaprint." See Blake Lively's red bag-nearly as big as the dress! Colored tights also work.


2. Be Catty
"Nothing is more feminine and flattering than a leopard print," says DVF. The designer actually says she considers leopard a neutral (gotta love that). Exhibit A: sexy Rachel Bilson, above.


3. Get Moving
"A print is not just a painting you put on your body," says DVF. "See how it moves when you try it on." Patterns that stretch (or compress) a bit in some places make the body parts they cover look bigger (or smaller).


4. Combine Similar-Color Patterns
How to mix prints fearlessly? Go with pieces from one collection. "We design our prints to work together," explains DVF. "Right now everything is black and white and cobalt blue, so the colors harmonize."

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Photo Credit: Getty Images, WWD