Dishing with DVF: Lessons from Diane von Furstenberg

What woman doesn’t have a memory of that PERFECT dress?  We seemingly all can remember how “the” dress made us feel on first dates with the loves of our lives or the confidence it gave us on the first days of the jobs that catapulted our careers. Undoubtedly, many of us have renowned designer Diane von Furstenberg to thank for her iconic wrap dress, which exploded on the scene in the early 1970s.  Cotton Candy got a chance to hear the story, the inspiration and the lessons behind DVF’s journey to the top of the fashion world at the trendy Upper East Side cultural arts center, 92nd Street Y.  And we took away some lessons from this daughter of a Holocaust survivor – lessons that can be applied to so many areas of life.  Read on as we share with you inspiration from the Belgium-born, fashion great Diane von Furstenberg.

Quotes from DVF:

“Frustration leads to strategy. Strategy leads to success.”

“Your frustration should be your fuel to your determination to be a success.”

“A healthy woman is the most beautiful.”

“I’ve never met a successful person who [at one time] didn’t feel small.”

‎”My commitment is to make women feel sexy and confident through clothes.”

From DVF.com

‎”My mission is to empower women.”

‎”The world changes all of the time, and you can tell who is smart because they adapt.”

‎”Funny how every woman can tell you a story about a dress she’s worn.”

‎”When I started, I did everything by instinct. Now I go by experience, but it turns out my instincts were right.”

“Fear has never been an option.”

‎”I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to be independent.”

“Whatever part of my life I look at, I admire.”

“The only way to stay strong is to have a great relationship with yourself.”

NOTE: Hear more insight from Diane von Furstenberg, including her recount as a young woman in love, her first impressions of New York City and how she found her way into the closets of millions. Watch Now