Diane von Furstenberg
Founder of the Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) fashion house
Diane von Furstenberg is a Belgian-born American designer who founded her fashion business in New York in the early 1970s and introduced the jersey wrap dress in 1974. She also served as president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America from 2006 to 2019, making her one of the most visible figures in American fashion.
| Role | Founder, Diane von Furstenberg |
|---|---|
| Founded | Early 1970s, New York |
| Known for | The wrap dress (1974) |
| CFDA president | 2006 to 2019 |
| Born | 1946, Brussels |
Who is Diane von Furstenberg?
Diane von Furstenberg, born in Brussels in 1946, is the founder of the fashion house that carries her name, usually shortened to DVF. She is best known for the knitted jersey wrap dress, which she introduced in 1974 and which remains the signature product of her brand. An example is held in the collection of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Career
Von Furstenberg started her business in New York in the early 1970s. The wrap dress quickly became a commercial phenomenon; by 1976 around one million had been sold. After a difficult period for the business in the 1980s, she pursued other ventures, including a home-shopping collection that sold strongly on QVC in 1992, before relaunching her company in 1997 and reintroducing the wrap dress to a new generation.
- Founded her fashion business in the early 1970s.
- Introduced the wrap dress in 1974.
- Relaunched the brand in 1997.
- President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) from 2006 to 2019.
From 2020 the brand's global operations were run under a licence with the Chinese company Glamel; in 2024, under chief executive Graziano de Boni, the company announced it was bringing design, production, marketing and distribution back in house, keeping Glamel as distribution partner for greater China. In February 2026 it appointed the Italian Brama Group to develop its wholesale distribution in Europe. The brand also runs the DVF Awards, which recognise women in leadership.
Influence on the fashion business
The wrap dress is a case study in how a single, well-defined product can carry a brand for half a century. It was practical, easy to wear and easy to reproduce, and it gave DVF a clear identity at a time of rapid change in American womenswear. As CFDA president for thirteen years, von Furstenberg also played a significant role in shaping the American designer community and its industry programmes.
Diane von Furstenberg and technology
Her Spring 2013 show in New York, held in September 2012, was the New York Fashion Week debut of Google Glass, with models wearing the headsets on the runway. It was an early, widely noted example of a fashion house collaborating with a technology company on wearables. Today the brand sells directly online and through a loyalty programme alongside wholesale.
Why it matters
Von Furstenberg's career shows how a founder-led brand can be built around one hero product, revived after decline and kept relevant through licensing, direct-to-consumer selling and industry leadership. She remains one of the most recognisable founders in American fashion.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Diane von Furstenberg?
Diane von Furstenberg is a Belgian-born American fashion designer and the founder of the DVF brand. She served as president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America from 2006 to 2019.
What is Diane von Furstenberg known for?
She is known above all for the jersey wrap dress, which she introduced in 1974 and which sold around one million units within two years. She relaunched her company in 1997 and the wrap dress remains its signature product.