The Harris Center for Education and Advocacy in Eating Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital hosted their 14th Annual Public Forum last night at the Harvard Business School (see Samantha’s photos in her post below). Diane von Furstenberg spoke as President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). She began with a slideshow of old photos and told the story of her mother’s life as a Holocaust surviver-Diane’s motivation to succeed without fear (“terrible moments become your best souvenirs”). After interning for textile manufacturer Angelo Ferretti as a young woman in Italy in 1969, Diane moved to the States with her fiancée, Egon von Furstenberg, who was working in New York. She brought with her 1 trunk of sample wrap dresses that she designed and made in Angelo’s factory. After being turned down by many designers, Diane opened her own studio in NY and worked with 1 salesman to design, produce, sell and ship her small inventory of wrap dresses. The rest is history. Diane’s iconic wrap dress remains a staple in many women’s closets today.
Although Diane did not have any experience with eating disorders, she did say that she is working with the CFDA to promote beauty as a healthier image than what we see on many fashion runways today. She is also an advocate for the organization Vital Voices, an organization that recognizes extraordinary women around the world. Extreme thinness has become the standard at many fashion shows and many designers only produce 1 sample size for their shows. During the last 10 years the sample size made for runway shows has become dramatically smaller and as a result runway models are becoming thinner, younger, and at risk for succumbing to unhealthy eating behaviors. More pressure needs to be placed on the leaders of the fashion industry to recognize that they are not only promoting unhealthy living, but are also wrongly defining beauty by unrealistic and unattractive standards.
DVF recently introduced the Diane Vintage collection that is a relaunch of her original designs from the 70s. Below are a few of my favorites. I also love the Lennon style sunglasses!
DVF NY Fashion Week Spring 2011
Celeste Wrap Romper in Chain Link Medium (Diane Vintage Collection)
Laney Dress in Camo Small (Diane Vintage Collection)
Photo credit: www.dvf.com
