WWDSECTION II MILESTONES VivaTHE WRAP IS 40 DV F! Diane von Furstenberg marks four decades of celebrating the dress, feminine power and style. EMBRACING TECH ALL ABOUT THE BUSINESS ON THE DIVAN WITH DIANE THE ULTIMATE LIFESTYLE Diane von Furstenberg at Studio 54 in 1978. PHOTO BY JOHN BRIGHT PHOTO BY 2 WWD MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 SECTION II WWD.COM WWD MILESTONES 2010, wearing DVF wrap rompers. ■ DVF designs a series of print-filled suites for Claridge’s hotel in London. ‘It All Began With the Dress’ ■ The designer receives the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Highlights and sive, would follow in 1994. 2004 Award from the Savannah College of DVF opens its first Paris flagship, a Art and Design. milestones through 1995 1,600-square-foot shop at 14 Rue D’Alger. ■ The company unveils its first store in the years. Compiled by The company licenses Avon for mod- ■ The firm licenses Italian silk giant Latin America at Iguatemi São Paulo. erate-priced casual sportswear called Mantero for a beach line and foulard “Journey of a Dress” is shown there. Dianne M. Pogoda Diane von Furstenberg The Color collection and H.Stern for fine jewelry. ■ Stores open in Istanbul and Dubai. Authority, part of Avon’s $130 million Diane von apparel business. 2005 2011 Furstenberg Von Furstenberg receives the Lifetime Diane perfume is introduced. Achievement Award from the CFDA. ■ The Diller-von Furstenberg Family featured in ■ an early ad. DVF opens her first Russian store Foundation grants $20 million to help in Moscow, and shops in Los Angeles, finish the High Line park in New York. Hong Kong and Paris. ■ The Municipal Art Society of New York awards its Jacqueline 2006 Kennedy Onassis Medal to Diane von The designer is elected president of Furstenberg for work in preserving the the CFDA. city’s great architecture. ■ A shop opens in Antwerp, Belgium. ■ A second New York shop opens on ■ DVF and its Japanese distributor, Wooster Street in SoHo. Unit & Guest, open the brand’s first ■ A home collection of tabletop, bed- freestanding store in Japan, in Tokyo’s ding and rugs bows. Aoyama district. ■ Grace Cha, a former Valentino USA exec, joins the firm as vice president of The designer started selling on QVC in 1992. 2007 global communications, a new position. DVF opens a flagship in the ■ “Journey of a Dress” goes to China, 1997 Meatpacking District, as part of a larger part of DVF’s push, which includes DVF relaunches the wrap and a new complex that ultimately includes its social media, to become better known apparel line under the label Diane, headquarters, a 150-seat theater, show- there. Her account on Chinese micro- with Saks Fifth Avenue, rejuvenating room, studio, offices and an blogging site Sina her business. She moves Diane von apartment for the designer. Tabletop, 2011. Weibo picks up 25,000 Furstenberg Studio to a renovated car- ■ First China store opens followers in its first riage house in the Meatpacking District. in Shanghai. Others open few days. ■ Limited alum Susan Falk is named to in Saint-Tropez, Brussels, the new post of president and chief ex- Moscow, Madrid and London. 2012 PHOTO BY ROGER PRINGENT PHOTO BY ecutive officer of Diane von Furstenberg Forbes names von Studio; Catherine Malandrino joins as 2008 Furstenberg the most 1970 vice president of design. Second freestanding powerful woman in Princess Diane von Furstenberg, mar- Japanese store opens in fashion. ried to Prince Egon von Furstenberg of 1998 Tokyo’s trendy Roppongi area. ■ Joel Horowitz joins Austria, arrives in the U.S. with jersey The designer writes her memoir, ■ First Las Vegas store as cochairman. dresses she’d had made in Italy, and “Diane: A Signature Life.” opens at The Shoppes at ■ Yvan Mispelaere the seeds of a fashion business. the Palazzo. departs. 1999 ■ Von Furstenberg becomes ■ DVF teams with 1974 Paula Sutter joins the company as a board member of Vital Gap on a GapKids col- The wrap dress is born, putting Diane president, succeeding Susan Falk. Voices, a women’s leader- lection, and with Roxy von Furstenberg in business. Her slo- ■ DVF is elected to the board of ship organization. on a one-time line of swimwear and gan: “Feel like a woman, wear a dress.” the Council of Fashion Designers of ■ DVF pens “Be the Wonder Woman accessories called DVF Loves Roxy. America. You Can Be, Featuring the Adventures ■ The firm unveils a new store format 1975 ■ The Diller-von Furstenberg Family of Diva, Viva & Fifa,” a DC comic de- at The Forum Shops at Caesars in Las The von Furstenbergs separate. Foundation philanthropic organiza- signed to empower women, with illus- Vegas, with a focus on accessories. ■ DVF launches her first fragrance, tion is founded. trations by artist Konstantin Kakanias. ■ The spring 2013 runway features the Tatiana. ■ DVF outfits all 85 contestants in ■ Von Furstenberg is honored with a launch of Google Glass. vivid cocktail dresses for the opening plaque on Seventh Avenue’s Fashion 1976 number of the Miss Universe pageant. Walk of Fame. 2013 Selling more than one million wrap Paula Sutter departs. dresses lands von Furstenberg on the 2000 2009 ■ Eran Cohen is named chief market- cover of Newsweek. DVF.com relaunches. Marchon wins DVF’s eyewear license. ing officer, Robert J. Almerini joins as ■ DVF opens in the ION Orchard high- chief operating officer and Michelle 1979 2001 end mall in Singapore. Ryan is named to the new post of ex- In-house cosmetics line is developed. DVF’s first freestanding shop opens on ■ With Vital Voices Global ecutive vice president of accessories. DVF writes “Book of Beauty: How to West 12th Street in Manhattan. Partnership, DVF stages an accesso- ■ DVF throws her support behind the Become a More Attractive, Confident ■ Nathan Jenden joins as creative ries competition to enable women in Hudson Yards project and its Culture and Sensual Woman.” director. developing nations to advance their Shed as a potential future home for ■ Diane von Furstenberg Style for ■ The house introduces intimate apparel. businesses. New York Fashion Week. Living Collection for Sears encom- ■ E-commerce is added to the Web site. ■ The brand’s fifth U.S. store opens at ■ A dedicated accessories shop opens passes bedding, bath, curtains, dinner- ■ Von Furstenberg marries Barry Diller. the Shops at Bal Harbour in Florida. in the gallery space of DVF headquar- ware, rugs and furniture. ters, paving the way for a big push in 2002 2010 the category. 1983 Von Furstenberg becomes an The Diller-von Furstenberg Family DVF sells its cosmetics business to American citizen. Foundation establishes the DVF Awards 2014 British pharmaceutical giant Beecham ■ After a 20-year hiatus, DVF signs a to honor and provide grants to women for Fashion jewelry, home fabrics and Group Ltd. worldwide licensing agreement with leadership and commitment to causes. trimmings with Kravet, as well as ■ The von Furstenbergs divorce. Inter Parfums for fragrance, cosmetics, ■ Yvan Mispelaere joins as creative DVF sun and optical frames made for skin care and related beauty products director, succeeding Nathan Jenden. Google Glass, are introduced. 1984 under the Diane von Furstenberg, ■ Von Furstenberg taps the Radio City ■ Michael Herz is named artistic director. Von Furstenberg sells her name and DVF, Diane von Furstenberg The Color Rockettes to perform at the Life Ball ■ Bellevue Square store in Seattle licenses and moves to Paris, starting a Authority and Tatiana marks. A color and opens, two more shops are slated for publishing house under the name Salvy. fragrance line would launch in 2003. Southern California and DVF signs ■ DVF receives a lifetime achievement on for a 2,000-square-foot space at 1990 award from the National Association of Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan. DVF returns to the U.S. and starts the Women Business Owners. ■ “The Woman I Wanted to Be” mem- process of buying back her name. oir is published. 2003 ■ DVF is tapped to receive the 1992 ■ DVF teams with Reebok’s RBK label Superstar Award at The Fashion Group DVF begins appearing on QVC to sell on a line of tenniswear. International’s Night of Stars in the fall. Silk Assets, an exclusive line of print ■ DVF rugs launch through a partner- ■ The brand marks the 40th anniversa- and solid separates. Sales during her ship with London-based The Rug Co. ry of the wrap with the exhibition and first show are said to total $1.2 million ■ The company’s first shop in Europe Barry Diller, Mayor Michael Bloomberg online series for “Journey of a Dress” in two hours. Her relaxed knitwear, opens in London’s Notting Hill, and a and von Furstenberg at the High Line and teams with E to launch “The DVF called Casual Chic, also a QVC exclu- store opens in Coral Gables, Fla. groundbreaking in 2006. Project,” a competition reality show. PHOTO BY JOAN GARVIN PHOTO BY Amazon Fa shion C ong rat u lates DIANE VON FURSTENBERG ON YEARS of ICONIC STYLE AND GLAMOUR. Amazon.com Fa shion Smart is Beautiful. 4 WWD MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 SECTION II WWD MILESTONES DVF’s Confidence Game Reflections on a career — and life — well-lived. By Jessica Iredale FROM DAY ONE, Diane von Furstenberg. “So women’s causes, how it’s good and how it’s bad. But I Asked where that intuition comes Furstenberg has been a journal- clearly, resonate to me. The first also became the woman I wanted to from, von Furstenberg replied, ist’s delight, a ready-made gift from thing was to empower myself, but the be through fashion — and through “Because I care! I read. I’m read- the press gods.