Diane von Furstenberg
Fashion Designer
Diane von Furstenberg is a Belgian fashion designer who has been instrumental to the American fashion industry. In 1970, von Furstenberg arrived in New York with a suitcase full of jersey dresses that she had made at her friend Angelo Ferretti's factory in Italy. The USVogue editor at the time, Diana Vreeland, encouraged von Furstenburg to go into business. In 1974 she created the wrap dress, a style that made her name by appealing to a generation of women making their presence felt in the world of work. By 1976, she had sold over a million of her signature dresses and featured on the cover of the Wall Street Journal and Newsweek.
In the eighties, following the successful launch of her beauty line, she opened her first luxury store on New York's Fifth Avenue. Fashion photographer Helmut Newton was the first to photograph von Furstenberg in her new line, and early customers included Aretha Franklin and Brooke Shields. In 2005, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) honoured von Furstenberg with its Lifetime Achievement Award for her great influence on the fashion industry. One year later she was elected president of the CFDA, a role she held until 2019.
In 2011, von Furstenberg introduced a home collection and a fragrance called DIANE, and the following year, she launched a children’s collection with GapKids. In 2018, the brand banned mohair in their collections, and later fur, angora and exotic skins.
Diane von Furstenberg is a Belgian fashion designer who has been instrumental to the American fashion industry. In 1970, von Furstenberg arrived in New York with a suitcase full of jersey dresses that she had made at her friend Angelo Ferretti's factory in Italy. The USVogue editor at the time, Diana Vreeland, encouraged von Furstenburg to go into business. In 1974 she created the wrap dress, a style that made her name by appealing to a generation of women making their presence felt in the world of work. By 1976, she had sold over a million of her signature dresses and featured on the cover of the Wall Street Journal and Newsweek.
In the eighties, following the successful launch of her beauty line, she opened her first luxury store on New York's Fifth Avenue. Fashion photographer Helmut Newton was the first to photograph von Furstenberg in her new line, and early customers included Aretha Franklin and Brooke Shields. In 2005, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) honoured von Furstenberg with its Lifetime Achievement Award for her great influence on the fashion industry. One year later she was elected president of the CFDA, a role she held until 2019.
In 2011, von Furstenberg introduced a home collection and a fragrance called DIANE, and the following year, she launched a children’s collection with GapKids. In 2018, the brand banned mohair in their collections, and later fur, angora and exotic skins.
