Diane Von Furstenberg On Truth, Threesomes And The Iconic Wrap Dress
Just like her signature wrap dresses, Diane von Furstenberg is an icon who transcends time and trends. The Belgian-born designer is one of those rare public figures with multi-generational appeal: indeed, when I announce on my various WhatsApp groups that I am due to interview her in person, everyone from my fashion-ignorant mother to banker best friend is equally as fascinated to hear what she has to say. And rightfully so: this is a woman who has lived a full, varied and inspiring life – one which is now the subject of a new documentary aptly entitled Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge.
Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton, the film somehow manages to condense every one of Diane von Furstenberg's 77 years into an enrapturing 97 minutes, filled with all the twists, turns, tragedies and glamorous tales that befit such an extraordinary existence.
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'I didn't want to watch it until it came out, but Sharmeen really insisted,' explains Diane, aka DVF, when I meet her in a suitably grand suite of London's Corinthia Hotel, looking as fabulous as ever in one of her own designs, fishnet tights and leopard-print heels. 'I saw it in March and laughed through the entire thing – only because laughter is my defence mechanism. It felt like being at the gynaecologist for an hour and a half. Afterwards, I went a bit crazy with paranoia, thinking "why did I do that to myself and my entire family?" Then it was selected to open Tribeca Film Festival, which is a really big deal, and on that night, I watched it as a spectator, and found it to be actually quite enjoyable.'
One imagines it would be difficult for anyone to watch the story of their life played out before them on the big screen, but perhaps even more so for Diane, who approached the project with a level of openness and honesty that is rarely found in the world of celebrity documentary today. Almost to demonstrate this point, the film opens with a recently-awoken Diane climbing into her bathroom sink to do her make-up, pondering 'why so many people do not embrace age' when wrinkles are 'a map of life'.
'I hate the way I look in the movie,' DVF tells me, 'but even though I didn't like certain angles, I saw that those angles were important because they were honest and real. The honesty of the film is what I'm proudest of.'
The fact that it was produced by an 'army of badass women,' as she puts it, certainly helped put her at ease – 'there was a camaraderie and a common message that was felt by everyone,' she says. But as I am quickly learning, Diane's ability to own every part of who she is, is not born from the benefit of hindsight, but is instead a long-standing tenet of her glittering personality. 'To me, to be free is not to lie,' she explains. 'It's to be able to be you.'
It should come as little surprise in the documentary, then, to hear Diane speak with such candour on subjects considered veritable 'no-go's nowadays, whether delving into her various sexual exploits, relationships and 'scandals' to deeply personal family issues like her mother's time at Auschwitz and her daughter's health condition. 'Not realising [the latter] sooner is my only regret,' DVF tells me.
Of course, the serious subjects are interspersed with moments of levity and unparalleled success, too, from the glamour of her life as a jet-setting Princess and creation of the global phenomenon that is the DVF wrap dress, to the many parties and starry anecdotes of the Studio 54 years – including the moment she turned down a threesome with David Bowie and Mick Jagger. 'Initially, I thought "well that's something I could tell my grandchildren,"' she laughs. 'But then I decided that actually I couldn't. I think it's a better story not having done it.'
It's surprising to discover, too, that Diane doesn't think she had a vocation for fashion design, despite this role being the one she is best known for. 'I did not know as a child what I wanted to be, but I knew the kind of woman I wanted to be, and that was a woman in charge,' she explains. 'To be in charge is not an aggressive statement, but a commitment to yourself, owning who you are and all your imperfections, so that they become your asset. When you own your vulnerability, you turn it into strength. '
The creation of her revolutionary printed-jersey wrap dress aged 22, then, was something of a happy accident – and one which continues to bring freedom and accessible elegance to the working woman's wardrobe still today, some fifty years on.
'The dress is a phenomena that's far beyond me,' says Diane. 'I say that I made the wrap dress, but really the wrap dress made me. I find amazing that Michelle Obama wore it for her first White House Christmas card, and then around the same time Amy Winehouse was wearing it. Even now, I'm seeing young girls discovering the dress again.'
The wrap dress' appeal vast and ever-growing appeal is testament to its ultra-flattering and wearable design, of course, but the importance of the woman behind the dress cannot be understated, either. An enduring example of fierce independence and unapologetic 'boss' energy, Diane's legacy inhabits every thread – and therein lies its greatest allure. 'She was the original influencer,' as one friend put it in the documentary.
But what next? Now, in what she calls the 'winter of [her] life', Diane is focusing on lifting up others and spreading the 'woman in charge' mentality far and wide. 'A voice is really the only thing we humans have that differentiates us, so to use it is important,' she says. 'Connect, expand, inspire, and advocate – these are four things we can all do. We are the ones who have the magic wand, who can make miracles happen every day. My new thing is that kindness is a currency and generosity is the best investment, and in a world where there is so much conflict, I think that I would like to try to make kindness sexy.'
'Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge' is available to stream now in the UK & Ireland, exclusively on Disney+.
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