Diane Simone Michell Halfin, known today as Diane Von Furstenberg. She was born on December 31, 1946 in brussels, Belgium to her jewish parents that had been survivors of a Nazi concentration camp. Her parents divorced when diane was 13 and was sent to boarding school. She was educated in Switzerland, Spain and England, and went to University of Geneve with Economics as her major. She moved around a lot through her schooling and is now fluent in five languages. When she was in university she met Prince Eduard Egon Von Furstenberg- heir to Fiat Automobile Inc. and they were married July 16, 1969. Princess Von Furstenberg wore her design which was made by Christian Dior.

WHAT/WHEN
When she married she apprenticed with Italian tetile manufacturer Angelo Ferreti and soon after started designing dresses using his silk jersey prints.
In 1969, she and her husband moved to New York, where they had their children Tatiana and Alexandre. At this she had begun making dress patterns on her dining room table and shipped them to a friend in Italy to be made. In April 1970 she revealed her fist collection at Gotham Hotel in NY. After she took all of her samples around in a suitcase, showing them to store buyers. In 1972 she established her own manufacturing business and opened a 7th avenue showroom. The wrapdress with surplice top and long sleeves was an immediate success. At this time Diane was also making designs for Vogue patterns. Her marriage was not so much of a success, even after being labeled by New York magazine “ The couple that has everything”, they split in 1973.
By 1975, Diane was making 15, 000 dresses a week and by 76 she had sold 5 million dresses.
In 1977, she introduced the Style for Living collection of home furnishing.

In 1979, she licensed dress business and concentrated on building- in-house cosmetics line.

In 1983, she sells cosmetics business to a British pharmaceutical company, Beecham Group Ltd.
1984-89, Ranks top ten in Savvy Magazine’s annual survey of top ten US businesses run by women.
1985, DVF moves to Paris and founds Salvy, a French language publishing house honoured with New York Mayor’s liberty medal for citizens of the world who have achieved the American Dream.
1989, licensed DVF products sell over one billion dollars.

1990, DVF returns to the US.

1991, Publishes Beds, first coffee table book on the home, followed by Bath (1993) and The table (1996).

1992, DVF pioneers TV shopping with the creation and live on air selling of Silk Assets collection

1993, DVF becomes contributing editor to Vanity Fair magazine.

DVF was an immediate and still continues to be. She now splits her time between her homes in Connecticut, New York, Paris and the Bahamas, while still working full time.

WHY
DVF saw a need for dresses that were affordable, comfortable, and fashionable. She had no financial need to work, but she started her clothing business because she yearned for independence, “ I think that is the most important thing for me- and part of that was earning my own money. “ DVF

SOURCES:

a. Who’s Who In Fashion
Anne Stegemeyer, 1996

b. American Fashion
Charlie Scheips, 2007

c. McDowell’s Directory of 20th Century Fashion

Colin McDowell, 1985