The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
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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.
The group’s flagship Prada brand grew more slowly but remained resilient in the face of a sector-wide slowdown, with retail sales up 7 percent.
The guidance was issued as the French group released first-quarter sales that confirmed forecasts for a slowdown. Weak demand in China and poor performance at flagship Gucci are weighing on the group.
Consumers face less, not more, choice if handbag brands can't scale up to compete with LVMH, argues Andrea Felsted.
As the French luxury group attempts to get back on track, investors, former insiders and industry observers say the group needs a far more drastic overhaul than it has planned, reports Bloomberg.