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With summer wrapping up, we are so excited to share a little secret with you that we've been keeping for the past several weeks! Today we are sharing an incredible collection of never-worn vintage Diane von Furstenberg pieces from the 1970's. The 1970's was the only decade this iconic designer created jewelry, and a collection like this is almost unheard of!
Like the iconic wrap dress, DVF jewelry is timeless. Unlike the wrap dress, the jewelry will always fit! Scroll on to see more of these amazing pieces as well as 10 reasons we adore DVF!
1. She's An Independent Woman
DVF’s first husband was a prince, but she didn’t want to be dependent on him financially. This is why she started designing clothing. She didn’t want to rely on a man and wanted to have her own success.
“Passion and persistence are what matter. Dreams are achievable and you can make your fantasy come true, but there are no shortcuts. Nothing happens without hard work.”
2. She has an amazing outlook on life.
“Don’t blame your parents, don’t blame your boyfriend, don’t blame the weather. Accept the reality, embrace the challenge, and deal with it. Be in charge of your own life. Turn negatives into positives and be proud to be a woman.”
3. She is humble.
"No matter how successful you become, it is always important that you remain humble—even when receiving high praise from others. It's one thing to be confident and know your worth, but it's an entirely different thing to be vain and self-involved." -- Diane von Furstenberg
5. She saw a trend and capitalized on it.
DVF was in her 20s when she came to America from Europe and designed the iconic wrap dress. It was sexy but effortless, easy and functional. It was designed just as women were beginning to feel empowered.
4. However, DVF was not an overnight success.
DVF showed her dresses to many buyers, but not one was interested. It wasn’t until she met with the editor-in-chief at Vogue, who loved the dress, that progress was made. After the meeting, one of Vogue’s fashion editors asked DVF to setup a showing in a hotel during NYFW that year. She also told DVF to get as much press as possible leading up to the event. At the time she was known for being a socialite princess, so this was the story that was told in interviews with the press. The interviews prompted curiosity and people wanted to see these little dresses that a princess was trying to sell. But it wasn’t until the next season, that big orders started to come in after her dresses were featured in Vogue. Did we mention that she did all of this while she was pregnant and then a young mother?
6. DVF did whatever it took to succeed.
DVF's business started taking off and they had 1.2 million dollars in revenue by the end of 1972. However, there were cash flow issues. They got so far behind, that she ended up going pawning the diamond ring that her husband and her father had given her when her first daughter was born. She bought it back 4 weeks later at “enormous interest.” After that, DVF negotiated with her manufacturer who generously financed them by allowing a long term credit of 120 days so they had time to ship and get paid by their customers before paying the factory.
7. She is a cancer survivor.
DVF was diagnosed with cancer in her neck in 1994 at the age of 47.
“What I have learned is that when you are sick, much of healing is in the hands of doctors and science, but part of it is finding and using your own power.”
8. Her mother is a concentration camp survivor.
DVF’s mother was arrested in 1944 and sent to Auschwitz. She was later imprisoned at Ravensbrück. Her mother’s determination and will to go back home literally kept her alive. She returned home 13 months later only weighing 59 pounds. She was told that she would never be able to have children, but one year later, after marrying, DVF was born.
9. She is always evolving.
Just like you and I, DVF continues to grow and change, as does her brand.
In the 1980's DVF sold her business and went off the radar. She came back in the 90’s through QVC and HSN and in the 2000’s tried to bring her wrap dress business back. The most important lesson she has learned from becoming a “come back kid” is the importance of branding guidelines. If no one on her team knew what the brand stood for, how could they create the right designs, merchandising or marketing? How could they tell the story about the brand when they didn’t know what the brand stood for? She really struggled to find the value in participating in branding workshops with her team during the comeback phase, but later realized how much value it truly brings to know what exactly your brand stands for:
In 2013 “I started a new phase that I’m calling “legacy.” That’s when you realize that you have built something significant enough that it will last. I have to make sure that I have carved into our DNA all the things that the dress stands for: empowerment, sexiness, effortlessness (source).”
10. Her mission is to empower women.
“The wrap dress is all about the woman. It is about freedom and power and confidence. It is about being sexy and serious and effortless. It is really all about empowering women, and I hope that is my legacy. Through fashion and philanthropy and mentoring, I have always tried to empower women to be the woman they want to be.”
And be sure to stay tuned all week as we roll out the entire collection, the largest DVF vintage jewelry collection we've ever seen!
This collection is not to be missed! Please reach out to us if you have questions on any of these specific pieces. And if you love DVF, please share your style with us! Tag us on Instagram @VintageMeetModern or Join the Vintage Meet Modern Styling Society on Facebook and join the us for endless style, stories, and of course, sparkle!
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