The Future Is DVF
Diane von Fürstenberg doesn’t care about influencers. Or at least, not in the sense that most people talk about them today. She’s earned the right not to. With over 50 years in the business, the New York icon essentially wrote the blueprint for the term, but she doesn’t care about that, either. “I don't like that word,” she says. “What is it? Anyone with a voice has an influence.”
The majority of our conversation with Fürstenberg goes that way, with her cutting through the fat to get to the crux of the matter. To talk about what it is to be human, rather than a slave to a trend. It’s extremely refreshing. It’s also what separates Fürstenberg and her eponymous label from so many heritage luxury brands in the industry today. She pays fashion’s fads no heed and doesn’t worry about what’s hot and what’s not. Instead, the wrap dress OG has remained confident in the vision and voice of her brand. She knows who she is, what she wants, and what she likes, period.
She also knows what’s coming next and that’s what brings us here today. We’ve linked up with the designer to celebrate the arrival of a new DvF era—one that finds her partnering exclusively with Zalando in Europe and introducing her iconic designs to a new generation of fans. “I have regained total control of my brand, control of the product, control of the narrative, and I'm very excited,” she tells us, and so are we.
Control is an apt word to start with when thinking of how to talk about the DvF brand and how it began. “I wanted to be a woman in charge, [so] I became a woman in charge,” says the Belgian-American designer, vastly understating her impact. When her brand launched in the ’70s, not only did she find herself rubbing shoulders with some of the coolest cultural pioneers in history— Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Diana Vreeland, to name a few—but she broke down barriers for women in business on a global scale. She helped to pave the way for every woman-helmed fashion brand we know today and built an empire that has been synonymous with women’s empowerment, sexuality, and independence for the last half-century. No biggie.
“Being in charge is not an aggressive statement,” she continues, “it means committing to being true to yourself. And if you're true to yourself, you own your imperfections, they become your asset. If you own your vulnerability, it becomes a strength. Kindness is a currency and it is really, really important to be kind. Every morning I make sure that I make one miracle [happen] by introducing one person to a person they would've never met before. All I need to do is write a thoughtful email and it can change a person's life. Everyone can do that.”
In a way, this generous desire to facilitate growth both in and for others forms the backbone of her designs, too. “I offer clothes for women that are made with beautiful fabric [featuring] colourful prints that have effortless shapes, that seem effortless, feel effortless, yet have the details of old fashioned dressmaking. I know how to make women feel beautiful, and that's what I do. I don't really think of their age. I don't really think I think of their body. I think of how they move. I think of them, the woman in charge, the woman with confidence.”
When you look at the veritable Rolodex of icons that have championed DvF designs over the years, you can really see how this “women in charge” mantra comes to life: Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, Madonna, Kate Middleton, Zendaya, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Gigi Hadid, Oprah Winfrey… the list goes on. “I design around an attitude. I think that a woman gets dressed because you want to project something. All we are is energy,” she adds. “And it's difficult at the moment that everything is built on conflict. It's like we are living this big reality show and every 20 minutes you have to put a little bit of oil on the fire. But kindness could be the same thing.”
It’s so rare to hear stories like this from industry leaders today—stories about centering our worlds around kindness and empowering women, instead of just asking bodies to squeeze into the latest viral co-ord. And that’s what truly sets Furstenberg apart from the crowd, what makes DvF a label that people from all generations can align with. But then again, it’s not surprising. When you’ve always concentrated on classic styles that put the person first, not the mood of the moment, your appeal never dies. It doesn’t matter what age or shape you are, it just matters whether you like it, and whether you feel good. And that’s timeless.
“I think it's more and more important to make things that people don't throw away. One of the things that I am quite proud of is that if you go to any vintage store, you can pick up DvF dresses that have already been worn by two generations and worn twice in the vintage store and are still holding on. I like that.”
