| Diane von Fürstenberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | Diane Simone Michelle Halfin 31 December 1946 Brussels, Belgium |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Title | Princess of Fürstenberg (no longer entitled to use) |
| Spouse | Prince Egon von Fürstenberg (m.1969-1972) Barry Diller (m.2001-present) |
| Children | Prince Alexander Princess Tatiana |
| Website | |
| http://www.dvf.com | |
Diane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg (German: Diane Prinzessin zu Fürstenberg), (born December 31, 1946) is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg. Following their divorce in 1972, she has continued to use his family name, although she is no longer entitled to use the title princess following her divorce and subsequent remarriage in 2001.
Contents |
Diane Simone Michelle Halfin was born in Brussels, Belgium. Her father was Romanian-born Leon (Lipa) Halfin, who immigrated to Belgium from Chişinău (then Bessarabia province of Romania and now the capital of Moldova) in 1929.[1][2] Her mother was Greek-born Liliane Nahmias, a Holocaust survivor. She studied economics at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
At university, when she was 18, she met Prince Egon of Fürstenberg, the elder son of a German prince and his first wife, an heiress to the Fiat automotive fortune. Married in 1969, the couple had two children, Prince Alexander (born six months after their wedding)[3] and Princess Tatiana, who were born in New York City. She is now the grandmother of three children. The Fürstenbergs' marriage, though not popular with the groom's family because of the bride's Jewish ethnicity, was considered dynastic, and on her marriage Diane became Princess Diane of Fürstenberg,[4] but is no longer entitled to use the title following her divorce and then her remarriage in 2001.[5]
In 2001, she married American media mogul Barry Diller, with whom she had been involved, off and on, since the 1970s.[3] In 2002, she became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
In 1970, with a $30,000 investment, she began designing women's clothes - "The minute I knew I was about to be Egon's wife, I decided to have a career. I wanted to be someone of my own, and not just a plain little girl who got married beyond her desserts."[3] (Her former husband also became a fashion designer in 1974.)[6] She is best known for introducing the knitted jersey "wrap dress"[7] in 1973, an example of which, due to its influence on women's fashion, is in the collection of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.[8]
In 1985 she moved to Paris, France where she founded Salvy, a French-language publishing house. Fürstenberg has started a number of other businesses including a line of cosmetics and a home-shopping business which she started in 1991.
In 2005, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awarded her a lifetime achievement award[9] and the following year named her as their president. She also designed a Sidekick with T-Mobile.[10] In 2008, she appeared as a judge on several episodes of Project Runway.
Professionally and personally, she uses von with her surname instead of the usual zu used by the House of Fürstenberg (the latter term is rarely encountered outside of Europe). As her advertising campaigns and company letterhead indicate, she also prefers to spell her surname with no umlaut. Earlier in her career however, until the late 1990s, her company's labels included either an umlaut or a squiggle in its place.
In 2009, a large scale retrospective exhibition entitled "Diane von Furstenberg: Journey of a Dress" opened at the Manezh, one of Moscow's largest public exhibition spaces. The show was curated by Andre Leon Talley and attracted a lot of media attention.[11]
In 2010, She also appeared as a judge on an episode of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 15 — (Diane von Furstenberg), which aired on September 15, 2010.
Also in 2010, Diane von Furstenberg was award a Gold Medal at the annual Queen Sofia Spanish Institute Gold Medal Gala.
Diane von Furstenberg is a Director of The Diller – von Furstenberg Family Foundation, a private foundation that provides philanthropic support to 501(c)3 non-profit organizations within the following sectors: Community Building, Education, Human Rights, Arts, Health and the Environment. [12]
In 2010, Diane created The DVF Awards, which are presented annually to four women who display leadership, strength, and courage in their commitment to women’s causes. Supported by The Diller – von Furstenberg Family Foundation, recipients are each granted $50,000 to further their work. [13]
In 2011, The Diller – von Furstenberg Family Foundation made a $20 million commitment to the High Line, which is the largest single private contribution to a public park in New York City’s history. The Diller – von Furstenberg family has donated a total of $35 million to the High Line to date. [14]
Diane von Furstenberg sits on the board of Vital Voices, a women’s leadership organization that empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the world. [15] Diane is also an honorary director of the Housatonic Valley Association. [16]
Von Fürstenberg is referenced in Dolly Parton's 1981 song "Working Girl".
Renowned for its iconic wrap dress and signature prints, DVF has grown the global luxury lifestyle brand into what it is today with a complete collection of ready-to-wear, swim, accessories, footwear and handbags. Inspired by DVF signature prints, these new covers are both functional and fashionable.
Von Fürstenberg served as an inspiration for Andy Warhol, Julian Opie, Chuck Close, and many others and has been the subject of a number of artistic renderings. [17]