She’s 78 and, in her words, “still kicking”.
Four years after handing operations to Chinese licensee Glamel, Diane von Furstenberg has taken back control of Diane Von Furstenberg Studio. The designer, feminist, businesswoman and philanthropist is reclaiming her brand with her signature touch: a focus on quality fabrics, colorful prints and clothes with attitude.
Von Furstenberg recently sat down for a freewheeling chat that touched on the iconic wrap dress, the American dream and what the world needs in this age of rage.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
You came to America as a young immigrant with a suitcase full of dresses…
I lived the American dream. I immigrated, but I wasn’t really a refugee. But my parents were refugees when they went to Belgium, and I remember my father always saying you have to be kind to refugees. Immigration is really the essence of America. For 10 years, I was the godmother of the Statue of Liberty — I helped them to make the museum.
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You started your business at a time when women weren’t allowed to get a bank business loan without the accompanying signature of a male relative. You took a lot of risks.
When you start, you start. You have little to lose and you invent yourself every day. And there’s no such thing as “Oooh, I am successful and will stay successful”. You are successful, then you have a setback. That’s why agility is important and you need to be true to yourself.
When you’ve had setbacks, how have you turned despondency into motivation?
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My mother survived the concentration camp when she was 21. So whenever I complain, I think of my mother and that puts everything into perspective. She taught me two things: Fear is not an option, and never be a victim.
We have to talk about the wrap dress. We are now marking 51 years of this iconic garment. What is it about this dress that has endured through generations?
I created this dress, but really this dress created me. Because without the dress I wouldn’t be as successful. It was a very simple dress that came at a very special time. It wasn’t very expensive but was made from very good fabric. I went around selling that dress and it became a huge success.
The success gave me confidence, and I made millions of people confident in the dress. So from the very beginning, it was a dialogue with women. I was always telling the truth. Sometimes it was provocative. You can never go wrong by telling the truth.
This month, I am starting a new era of DVF, because I took control. I took the very best of my old team, and I have a great new CEO, and it’s starting again.
Tell us about the new collection. Is it going to be different from anything you’ve done before?
It’s very, very much DVF. Focusing on the quality of the fabric and the print and then the silhouette. Effortless, on the go. The crazy thing is yesterday I had lunch with a very wonderful writer. He’s 85 years old, and he says to me, his mother (obviously she’s dead, she would be 110 today) was a huge fan of mine. That means I am already in my fifth generation. And strangely enough, the early 20s are now discovering it.
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Which also means that your dresses, your clothes, are sustainable.
That is another thing that’s important. If you go to any vintage store, you can buy dresses that have already had two different owners. In other words, two generations. The quality of the fabric will make it so that people don’t throw it away.
What incentive should fashion houses have to make sustainability a priority?
Quality makes a difference, and frankly I wonder how many small, ridiculous handbags people need. I think everybody has to try to do things in moderation and be conscious. Everybody has to make an effort not to sell [rubbish].
I also want to talk to you about ageism. Are you more optimistic about the way society views older people, older women in particular?
For me, age is life. So to age means that you have lived. I really thought that I was going to die before I was 30 — because I had done so much by the time I was 27.
I used to tell my children: “You have to be independent, because I could die.” They would look at me crying, and I would say: “I don’t intend to.” Instead, now I’m 78 and I’m still kicking, right? Really, the way I’ve lived, I should be 300. You have to own it. Age means that you have lived.
You say that instead of being asked “How old are you?” there’s a better way to ask that question, right?
“How long have you lived?” Even to a child, if you say, “How long have you lived?” “10 years!” 10 years — that’s great, really. I announce my age even when I meet the person in the elevator.
How do you manage everything? How do you fit it all into your life?
I improvise a lot, but oh yes, the one thing I need is time, time on my own. I couldn’t survive if I didn’t count on the relationship I have with me. You cannot sacrifice that.
So how do you find time to connect with yourself?
I swim, I go on a long walk. I just need time. Sometimes I just close the bathroom door. Oh, and I write in my diary.
If you could add another chapter to your memoirs — My Signature Life and The Woman I Wanted to Be — what would the focus be?
Kindness. It would be about kindness. That’s what I’m working on now.
The most important thing is to be in charge. And to be in charge is owning who you are. You own your imperfections. They become your asset. You own your vulnerability, you turn it into strength. That is a practice that you have to do every day, not to lose yourself. Then you can go and pay attention to others and connect and expand and inspire and advocate.
The world right now is so macho, aggressive, whatever. I refuse to be angry. I refuse to be conflictual. The only thing I can do is offer the alternative of kindness. And kindness is not dumb. It is sexy.
