Designer We Love: Diane von Furstenberg

Today I had the amazing pleasure of hearing Diane von Furstenberg tell the story of her success to a captivated audience, and I was lucky to be in the room. While I couldn't record anything I'll do my best to recreate this experience. Going into it, I thought, what more could I possibly learn about Diane from essentially a script? She's such a public figure. I was of course completely wrong. She is so personable, has a great sense of humor and one of the most confident women I've ever seen. She came in, youthful, sophisticated, in a zebra print dress, turquoise earrings, her signature hair and charmed the room.

the dress Diane wore: Nevine dress $365

As it turns out Diane likes to tell her story with pictures. Stunning, in her 20's, she started out at a factory that manufactured clothes. How did she learn the ropes?...with the help of the owner who had a crush on her! As with all success stories there's a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck. When it was time to move to New York she had a few samples to show, and with some help from Vogue's editor-in-chief to spread the word DVF the brand was born.

You'd think those samples included a wrap dress, but in fact that came later. Only after a couple of years of moderate success did the thought of making a jersey wrap dress come about. It was fascinating to hear Diane's perspective on the dress that made her famous. While wrap dresses existed before, what Diane brought was her unique, modern perspective. This was not a typical dress from the 70's that could "stand on it's own" as Diane put it, but instead made from a jersey fabric that clung to the body. There's a back story to the prints too. Animals have prints, zebra, leopard, patterns that move with their bodies as they go about their lives. The prints were a way for Diane to bring that animalistic feel to her clothes. They move with the women's bodies for a sexy and free vibe. And here I thought it was color and variety :)

Diane's dresses became hugely popular, and she got on the licensing bandwagon. One of her most satisfying moments? A man who clearly didn't know of her was checking her out while she was sitting with a Wall Street Journal. Looking for a conversation starter he went with: "What's a pretty girl like you reading the Wall Street Journal?", and instead of screaming out "I'm on the front page idiot", she didn't tell him off. Her line included clothing, accessories, but this was also the beginning of decline as her brand oversaturated the market. She next turned to makeup when the same story repeated itself. It was at this point that Diane von Furstenberg took a break. Well, not a full stop, but slowed down. She moved to Paris, fulfilled her lifelong dream of having a literary salon. It's amazing that somebody who from the age of 22 had been propelling her career forward took this breather. Yes it was partially circumstance but it takes courage to step back.

Of course Diane did not stay away for long. After moving to New York she started searching for a way back and found it in QVC. It was hilarious hearing her first reaction to collaborating with the home shopping channel. She called it "tacky" :) But it was a great opportunity and she took it. This was truly the beginning of her climb back into the spotlight.

DVF Rona wrap dress and Giselle silk dress

We all know what came next, she restarted her brand DVF. Diane went back to what made her popular, making beautiful clothes for women who want to feel sexy, independent, feminine. She got a showroom in the West Village and has since moved to the Meatpacking district as we've all seen on the City. A cool tidbit, Diane is part of the preservation society for the neighborhood, influencing the build of the High Line that I'm such a huge fan of :) There was one small reference to our celeb culture, and that is, Diane feels honored that unlike those designers that are chosen for red carpet events, celebs usually chose her clothes when they want to show their true selves.

So what should we take away from her story? Never give up! Yes, Diane got very lucky in the beginning, she met the right people who were able to give her that initial bump, but she put in the long hours and hard work and built up her empire. The other big message - spread the love. Whether it be a charity she supports or collaborating with some talented but less fortunate women, Diane stays true to her mission: empowering women to reach their full potential.

image sources: shopbop.com, saks.com, bloomingdales.com, gcpvd.org, instyle.com