Diane von Furstenberg celebrates new Gap Kids line

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Choruses of ‘aww!’ could be heard all over the Gap store at the Grove on Saturday afternoon, as guests to the exclusive launch of the Diane von Furstenberg + Gap Kids and Baby Gap collection got a look at the baby wrap dresses, printed onesies, mini sunglasses and sandals for the first time.

Celebrities Milla Jovovich and Paul Anderson, Bobby Shriver and Katherine Schwarzenegger, Molly Sims, Jessica Capshaw, Busy Phillips, Allyson Hannigan and Constance Zimmer joined Von Furstenberg, her friends and family at the private shopping preview.

And there was plenty of fun for the kids, including a puppy petting zoo, balloon art, paper-doll crafts and a special runway where Von Furstenberg demonstrated to fashion newbies and DVF fans-in-the-making how to strut their stuff for the camera. There were kid-friendly snacks too, including crudites in the shapes of animals, mac ‘n’ cheese and Orange Julius drinks served in special DVF sippy cups.

The collection, $20 to $120, in stores and online March 15, features pint-sized versions of iconic DVF pieces for girls ages newborn to 14, including graphic-print jersey dresses, T-shirts and leggings, swimwear and a blazer with patchwork details. A second collection is to be in stores for the holiday season.

‘Normally, I don’t like to do things for kids,’ Von Furstenberg said over lunch on Friday. But she said that when the Gap approached her and she met the company’s new president Art Peck, she was persuaded.

Her design team was responsible for coming up with the styles. ‘I wanted to do it myself, because if you do something like this, it has to be the real core of the brand.’ And she said she is thrilled with the results. ‘I think it’s absolutely adorable. I think it’s going to be a huge success. And they could use it.’

Von Furstenberg follows a long line of high-end designers entering the kids market, including Stella McCartney, who collaborated with Gap Kids on two collections before launching her own Stella McCartney Kids in 2010.

-- Booth Moore

Upper photos: Left to right, Diana von Furstenberg and actress Molly Sims attend the world premiere of the GapKids + DVF Collection at the Gap store in the Grove on Saturday. The designer shows her newest fans how to strut their stuff on the runway. Actress Constance Zimmer and daughter Collette. Credits: Albert Michael / StarTraks and John Sciulli / WireImage

Lowerphotos: Left to right, Von Furstenberg and friends. Von Furstenberg and her daughter, Tatiana von Furstenberg. Credits: Albert Michael /StarTraks and John Sciulli/WireImage