Diane Von Furstenberg: Woman Before Fashion

A tribute to the creative vision and feminist philosophy of Diane Von Furstenberg and her eponymous brand, whose iconic wrap dress, created fifty years ago, remains a conduit of personal expression and self-empowerment for women across the globe.

In 1972, Diane von Furstenberg created a chic and universally flattering ready-to-wear jersey wrap dress that launched her career and would forever change the landscape of women’s fashion. Since then DVF, the woman and the brand, have created designs that empower and promote a woman’s sense of self, weaving feminism and activism into the brand’s DNA.

This visually vibrant tome, which accompanies an exhibition held in von Furstenberg’s hometown of Brussels, features nostalgic and contemporary photographs of her journey as a designer. Printed with three different luxe paper stocks withvarying inserts in each chapter, this book features beautiful graphicfabrics flooding each page, alongside numerous images of the wrap dressworn by von Furstenberg and models Jerry Hall, NaomiCampbell, and Cindy Crawford. Original essays discuss the intersection of Von Furstenberg and her designs with feminism, gender politics, and entrepreneurship, with personal anecdotes from collaborators like model Cindy Crawford and entrepreneur Stefani Greenfield. Unique and contemporary, this is a story of the inimitable designer, her brand, and the significant role of a single dress that continues to inspire generations of women.

Nicolas Lor is the Head of Exhibitions and Publications at the Brussels Fashion & Lace Museum and the curator of the Diane Von Furstenberg: Woman Before Fashion exhibition held from April 23, 2023, to July 1, 2024. Diane von Furstenberg is a Belgian fashion designer and founder of her eponymous global luxury lifestyle brand.