Meet legendary dressmaker Diane von Furstenberg

She’s an iconic trailblazer known by her initials DVF worldwide. She’s also the child of a Holocaust survivor, Princess by marriage, and founder of one of the most iconic fashion brands – and the wrap dress. 

Diane von Furstenberg, 77, talked about her legacy as a way to move forward and inspire future generations of women recently at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles where her life story is part of a special exhibition that runs through August, 2025 – and a must see.

Von Furstenberg’s signature creation, the knitted jersey wrap dress, was introduced to the public in 1974.  The design became synonymous with women’s liberation and launched a young Von Furstenberg’s career.  By 1976, she had sold a million dresses, appeared on the cover of Newsweek and became the face of her own brand.  

She attributes a great deal of success to her mother, a Holocaust survivor who was captured as part of the Resistance in World War II and was imprisoned in Auschwitz. When liberated, her mother weighed only 44 pounds and was told by doctors that she should not have children, that she could die in childbirth, and that her baby would not be normal.  Eighteen months later, Diane von Fürstenberg was born. And the rest is history.