#53: Diane von Furstenberg: How She Became the Woman She Wanted to Be

“I did not know what I wanted to do. But I knew the kind of woman I wanted to be.” Diane von Furstenberg’s mother survived Auschwitz at 29 kilos. Doctors said she would die in childbirth, that her child would not be normal. The following December, Diane was born. In this conversation, DVF takes us through the moments that shaped her: the principles her mother gave her that she never let go of, the little dress that became a flag of freedom, the empire she built, lost, and rebuilt, and the philosophy of life she has arrived at after 79 years. We talk about: How to stay whole across love, ambition, and motherhood Why kindness is a currency that compounds What it means to own who you are; not perform it Aging as living, not losing The one relationship we cannot afford to lose This is not a conversation about fashion. It’s a conversation about what it means to be in charge of your own life. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:24 Diane von Furstenberg: Born a “Torch of Freedom” 00:03:53 The Childhood That Shaped Everything 00:05:11 The Little Dress That Changed Her Life 00:06:14 Finding Her Door to Success in New York 00:08:20 Making 25,000 Dresses By 27 00:09:27 The Fall & Reinvention of DVF 00:11:03 Taking Back and Owning Her Legacy 00:12:12 Diane’s Most Important Advice to Women — Don’t Lose Yourself 00:14:02 Breaking the Fear of Aging in Women 00:14:56 Choosing 3 Words That Defines Her Year 00:16:11 Diane von Furstenberg’s Message to the World 00:17:13 Discovering The Power of Self & Kindness: Currency That Compounds 00:20:34 Embracing Her Winter Season in Life Follow Rachel here:  https://www.instagram.com/ms_rach/ Follow Diane von Furstenberg here: https://www.instagram.com/therealdvf/ Purchase ‘Own It: The Secret to Life’ by Diane von Furstenberg here: https://www.amazon.sg/Own-Secret-Diane-von-Furstenberg/dp/B0BGN66CK4 Write in to the team at [email protected].