Diane von Fürstenberg
Born 1946 · Age 79
Belgian-born fashion designer and entrepreneur, creator of the iconic wrap dress and founder of the Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) brand; philanthropist and long-time CFDA leader.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born Diane Simone Michele Halfin in Brussels
Born to Leon (Lipa) Halfin and Liliane Nahmias, Jewish parents; mother a Holocaust survivor.
Attended boarding school in Oxfordshire
Went to a boarding school in Oxfordshire during her teenage years (approximate year).
Met Prince Egon von Fürstenberg at university
Met Egon while at university; this relationship led to marriage and adoption of the Fürstenberg name.
Studied economics at the University of Geneva
Transferred to the University of Geneva to study economics after time at Complutense University of Madrid.
Worked as assistant to Albert Koski in Paris
Moved to Paris and worked as an assistant to fashion photographer's agent Albert Koski.
Apprenticed with textile manufacturer Angelo Ferretti (Italy)
Apprenticed at Ferretti's factory where she learned cut, color and fabric and produced her first silk jersey dresses.
Married Prince Egon von Fürstenberg
Married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg; became 'Her Serene Highness' by marriage.
Moved to New York City
Relocated to New York with husband and joined the international jet set; began building a fashion career in the U.S.
Launched eponymous label and presented first collection
Began designing women's clothes and presented her first collection (reported presentation at the Gotham Hotel).
Birth of son Alexandre (Alexandre/Alex)
Birth of her first child with Prince Egon (Alexandre von Fürstenberg).
Birth of daughter Tatiana von Fürstenberg
Birth of her second child, Tatiana, after which she later named the 'Tatiana' fragrance.
Separated from Prince Egon von Fürstenberg
The couple separated (lost dynastic claim after separation); she continued to use the Fürstenberg name.
Wrap dress later added to major museum collections (Costume Institute / Smithsonian)
The wrap dress became part of museum collections (Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Smithsonian exhibits) as an iconic design.
Introduced the iconic wrap dress
Launched the knitted jersey 'wrap dress' which became a signature, empowering garment and commercial success.
Moved into Cloudwalk estate in Connecticut (approx.)
Established residence at Cloudwalk estate in Connecticut, where she has lived for decades (approximate mid-1970s).
Opened cosmetics shop on Madison Avenue
Expanded into cosmetics with a retail shop on Madison Avenue following fashion success.
Rapid sales pace after wrap launch (25,000 dresses/week)
Soon after the wrap dress launch, reported sales at approximately 25,000 dresses per week.
Published Diane Von Furstenberg's Book of Beauty
Published a book on beauty and style (listed publication year 1976 in bibliography).
Featured on Newsweek cover; one million wrap dresses sold by 1976
By 1976 one million wrap dresses had been sold; she appeared on Newsweek's cover (March 1976).
Introduced home furnishings and began licensing deals
Expanded product lines into home furnishings and licensed her name to luggage, eyewear and other goods.
Sold dress license to Puritan Fashions (late 1970s)
Licensing deals for the wrap dress began in the late 1970s (reported sale of design/license to Puritan Fashions corp.).
Company reached approx. $150M annual retail sales
By 1979 The New York Times reported annual retail sales of roughly $150 million for her company.
Divorced Prince Egon; sold cosmetics company
Divorce finalized in 1983; sold her cosmetics business to Beecham (ending control over some DVF assets at the time).
Moved to Paris and founded Salvy publishing house
Relocated to Paris and established Salvy, a French-language publishing house.
Launched home-shopping business and published 'Beds'
Founded a home-shopping initiative and published the first of a series of coffee-table books (Beds, 1991).
Sold $1.2M of Silk Assets on QVC in two hours
Her 'Silk Assets' collection generated $1.2 million in two hours on QVC, boosting confidence to relaunch the brand.
Published 'The Bath' (coffee-table book)
Continued publishing coffee-table books documenting celebrity interiors.
Published 'The Table' (coffee-table book)
Published a third volume in the Beds/Bath/Table series of books.
Reacquired licences and relaunched Diane von Furstenberg brand
Bought back the dress line and relaunched the DVF brand, reintroducing the wrap dress to a new generation.
Published memoir 'Diane: A Signature Life'
Released a business/personal memoir chronicling her career and life.
Married Barry Diller
Married media mogul Barry Diller; the couple later founded the Diller–von Furstenberg Family Foundation.
Founded Diller–von Furstenberg Family Foundation (approx.)
Alongside Barry Diller, established a philanthropic foundation supporting women, arts, education and more (foundation activities became prominent in 2010).
Launched DVF by H. Stern jewelry and expanded accessories
Introduced a fine jewelry line in collaboration with H. Stern and added scarves and beachwear to product range.
CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award (Andre Leon Talley Award)
Received a lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Elected President / Chairwoman of the CFDA
Became chairwoman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, a role she held through 2019.
Appointed project chair for NYC fashion industry review
Served as one of the project chairs for Mayor Bloomberg's review of the future of NYC's fashion industry for the NYCEDC report 'Fashion.NYC.2020'.
Received a star on Seventh Avenue's Fashion Walk of Fame
Honored with a star on the Fashion Walk of Fame for contributions to the industry.
Michelle Obama wore DVF 'Chain Link' dress on White House Christmas card
High-profile exposure when First Lady Michelle Obama was photographed in a DVF wrap dress for the official card.
Retrospective 'Journey of a Dress' opened in Moscow
Large-scale retrospective curated by André Leon Talley opened at the Manezh in Moscow; later traveled internationally.
Created the DVF Awards
Diller–von Furstenberg Family Foundation established the DVF Awards honoring women leaders (first presented in 2010).
Awarded Queen Sofía Spanish Institute Gold Medal
Received a gold medal at the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute Gold Medal Gala for contributions to arts and culture.
Became Director and board member of Vital Voices
Served on the board of Vital Voices, a women's leadership organization (ongoing role; date approximated as active by 2010s).
$20M commitment to the High Line
The Diller–von Furstenberg Family Foundation made a $20 million commitment to the High Line public park in New York City.
Introduced DVF home collection and 'Diane' fragrance
Expanded brand into home goods and launched a signature fragrance called 'Diane'.
Launched GapKids children's collection and Current/Elliott denim collaboration
Expanded licensing and collaborations: first children's collection with GapKids and a denim collaboration with Current/Elliott.
Designs worn by global celebrities
DVF garments worn by high-profile figures including Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; Gwyneth Paltrow; Madonna; Jennifer Lopez and others (ongoing milestone of brand prestige).
Google Glass debuted at DVF Spring 2013 show
The DVF Spring 2013 runway became one of the first fashion shows to feature Google Glass in NYFW.
Named 68th Most Powerful Woman by Forbes; published memoir
Listed by Forbes among the world's most powerful women (No. 68) and published second memoir 'The Woman I Wanted to Be'.
Joined the #BanBossy campaign
Became a spokesperson for the Ban Bossy campaign advocating leadership for girls.
Starred in TV documentary and reality series 'The Fashion Fund' and 'House of DVF'
Featured with Anna Wintour in The Fashion Fund (Ovation TV) and launched House of DVF on E! (first season Nov 2014).
Named to Time 100 as an Icon
Included in Time magazine's Time 100 list as an iconic figure in fashion and culture.
Awarded honorary doctorate from The New School; designed shirts for Hillary Clinton campaign
Received an honorary doctorate from The New School and designed 'Made for History' T-shirts for Hillary Clinton's campaign.
Brand began major financial decline (2017–2019: ~$80M loss)
Between 2017 and 2019, DVF lost nearly $80 million, marking substantial financial difficulties for the business.
Announced ban on mohair, fur and exotic skins
Following a PETA exposé, DVF banned mohair and later all fur, angora and exotic skins from collections.
Company sales down to ~$150M (from $300M before 2008)
By 2018 DVF reported sales of about $150 million, down from roughly $300 million pre-2008 recession.
Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame; launched #InCharge podcast
Honored with induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame and launched #InCharge podcast on Spotify to empower women.
Stepped down as CFDA chairwoman
Ended tenure as chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (position held 2006–2019).
Launched #InCharge podcast
Launched the #InCharge podcast exclusively on Spotify to empower women; guests included Kris Jenner, Karlie Kloss, Priyanka Chopra, and others.
COVID-19 impact: closed 18 of 19 U.S. stores; UK division entered administration
Pandemic-related retrenchment led to major retail closures and the UK division entering administration.
Made Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (France)
Awarded France's Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur for contributions to fashion, women's leadership and philanthropy.
Featured on PBS 'Finding Your Roots' (episode 'Fashion's Roots')
Appeared on PBS series 'Finding Your Roots', where details of her ancestry and family history were discussed.
Published 'Own It: The Secret to Life'
Released a self-help/reflective book published by Phaidon Press.
Documentary 'Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge' premiered at Tribeca; released on Disney+/Hulu
Feature-length documentary about her life premiered at Tribeca Festival and was released on Disney+ (positive reviews).
Skirball Cultural Center exhibition 'Diane von Furstenberg: Woman Before Fashion' (US debut)
US debut of a major exhibition celebrating her 50th anniversary of the wrap dress and career (Oct 17, 2024–Aug 31, 2025).
Received World Economic Forum Crystal Award at Davos
Honored with the World Economic Forum Crystal Award for arts and culture contributions (Davos 2025).
Key Achievement Ages
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