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Background:

Diane von Furstenberg has been synonymous with women’s empowerment since she first unveiled her revolutionary wrap dress in 1974. But for her, the garment became much more than a symbol, it became the key to her own independence.

“I did not know what I wanted to do, but I knew the kind of woman I wanted to be,” von Furstenberg told author and spiritual wellness advocate Deepak Chopra, her friend of three decades, on stage at BoF VOICES 2023. “I wanted to be in charge. I wanted to be free. I mean freedom. I wanted to be my own person. And I wanted to have a man’s life in a woman’s body. And the way I became that woman was a little dress.”

This week on The BoF Podcast, von Furstenberg and Chopra look back on the designer’s journey from princess to fashion powerhouse, and share their collective wisdom on finding meaning in life.

Key Insights:

• Born in Belgium, von Furstenberg is the daughter of a Romanian father and Greek-born, Jewish mother who survived the Holocaust. “She taught me that fear was not an option,” von Furstenberg says of her mother. “That no matter what, you could never be a victim.”
• Despite her decades-long career in fashion, it wasn’t until von Furstenberg received the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s lifetime achievement award in 2005 that she considered herself a designer. “Because I didn’t go to fashion school, I thought I wasn’t a designer,” she recalls. “But the one thing I know I am, I can design life … You’re not in charge of your destiny, but you can navigate your destiny.”
• Von Furstenberg’s work with various causes and non-profits is as close to her heart as her namesake business. “I never really loved the word philanthropy because it sounds like landscaping. You feel like you need an expert, but it is about being human. And it is about paying attention to others.”

Additional Resources:

• Diane von Furstenberg Makes a (Profitable) Comeback: For the first time in a decade, Diane von Furstenberg is operating in the black. It’s a feat made possible by cutting overall production by half under the brand’s new CEO, Gabby Hirata.
• Diane Von Furstenberg’s CEO on Building a Career in Fashion: Gabby Hirata shares how she went from an entry-level position in supply chain and production at Ralph Lauren to landing a C-Suite role in less than 10 years.
• Diane von Furstenberg Shutters Rental Service: Launched in February of last year in partnership with white-label rental service Caastle, DVF Link has shut down its $159-a-month offering, but will continue to partner with Rent the Runway.