A Royal Heritage
Diane Von Furstenberg (whose maiden name is Diane Simon Michelle Halfin) was born in Brussels in 1946. Unlike many other fashion designers of her rank, she didn’t have fashion deeply embedded in her blood from a very early age. In fact, she attended university in Switzerland for economics, which is where she is said to have met Prince Egon of Furstenberg, whom she later married. This earned her the title of Princess Diane of Furstenberg. The couple moved to New York City and had two children before divorcing after several years of marriage.
Since then, Furstenberg has remarried, becoming the wife of media mogul Barry Diller. Her very publicized marriages, as well as a wide variety of charity work she does on a regular basis and guest appearances on the popular reality television show Project Runway, keep this well-known designer and socialite very much in the public eye.
She has received much recognition for her accomplishments, including the lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2005. She has also been granted the Award of Excellence from the International Center in New York City, among other recent honors.
End Of An Era?
While the famous wrap dress enjoyed much success in the 70s, Diane Von Furstenberg eventually decided that she had done all she could with this style, and in the 80s eventually turned her attention away from fashion to focus on a handful of other interests and to travel. However, older females continued to wear her styles and many young women looked to her vintage items as well to claim this classic look in their own, allowing the style to live on in new ways.
Even Better The Second Time Around
In the 1990s, Diane Von Furstenberg debuted a new line of silk separates for QVC, the popular phone and internet shopping network. In two hours, she had sold $1.3 million’s worth of merchandise, illustrating the interest in her clothes that still remained.
Soon after, she and her daughter-in-law updated her original wrap dress design, making it more modern with shorter skirts and fresh patterns and detailing. Saks Fifth Avenue agreed to stock the new line, and women quickly flocked to the racks, eager for updated versions of their favorite style. The latest collections also offer mix-and-match options, with different pieces coordinating together to create many new and easy-to-wear looks.
Other DVF Offerings
In addition to the famous wrap dress, the Diane Von Furstenberg brand also offers a variety of other products, including swimwear, coats, cocktail and casual dresses, cosmetics, shoes, jewelry, luggage and even rugs.
In addition, there is a rumor circulating that the designer is collaborating on a new line of clothing whose patterns will be inspired by comic book icons. Further, she is said to be collaborating with DC Comics, the publishers of Wonder Woman, to create her own cartoon strip that will offer inspirational messages for women. (The main Wonder Woman character will be based on herself.) The proceeds from this project are expected to go to a women’s charity called Vital Voices.
