Recently I had the pleasure of attending a discussion with fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg and magazine editor Tina Brown. Diane has been an inspiration to me for a long time and when I heard about the event I knew I had to be front and center. The purpose of the event was to discuss her latest book, “The Woman I Wanted to Be“.
Although this was my second time meeting the iconic wrap dress designer, the first time was during fashion week a few years back when I worked her show, it was refreshing to actually get to know her in an intimate setting. She really gave us insight into her life, her relationship with her mother, how she felt about the fame of the wrap dress, her company taking off, obstacles her company endured and how she built her brand into becoming the amazing fashion house it is today.
The conversation was direct, witty and in such a short amount of time she really gave the audience raw advice through her experiences. She touched on a lot of the quotes/life lessons in her book which she learned from her mother and it only confirmed her authenticity to me. The book itself is well written, touching and genuine. It is easy to see that she relived and remembered each moment as she wrote each page. From her memoir I was able to grasp the true concept of the woman she wanted to be, but from her discussion I was able to understand the woman that she is. It was truly an inspiring dialogue and her memoir is a must read in my opinion.
The discussion concluded with Diane explaining why she decided to create a reality television show. To be honest, when I first heard about the show I was on the fence about it. For years, I put her on this pedestal and I felt by doing this it would taint my vision of her somehow. After all, we all know the pros and cons of reality television and I did not want her to fall into that. However, after hearing her explanation it completely shifted my thinking. Her reasoning for joining the reality sector is to shift the vision of women in the industry. She wanted to create a space where the world could see the behind the scenes of working with a mentor at an iconic fashion house. Her approach to doing the show is one that comes from a place of empowerment and letting us into her life through her eyes.
After watching the show, which aired sunday night, I can honestly say that it will be an interesting season. From the first episode I can already foresee what this brand ambassador program will be like and the drama that will ensue. However, my fashion idol did not disappoint. It is clear to see that this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for fashion professionals and Diane will share with them life lessons as they navigate through her world. I am all set for the ride.
My only qualm about this show is not being on it. Maybe next time!
House of DVF airs Sundays at 10pm on E! Network.