Belgian-American entrepreneur and fashion designer. After moving to New York, her first design show was in April 1970. Two years later, with a loan of $30,000, she opened her own showroom and went on to a sweeping success within months. Wholesale by 1976 estimated at $20 million, in less than five years, she had built a fashion empire. In 1976 she landed on the cover of Newsweek magazine after selling more than five million of her signature wrap dresses.
Born into an affluent Belgian Jewish family, raised in Europe and schooled in Switzerland, Spain and England, she majored in economics at Geneva. Falling in love with Prince Egon Von Furstenberg, heir to the Fiat Fortune in 1968, against parental disapproval, she married on 7/16/1969 and had two children, Alexandre and Tatiana. The couple separated 1973 and again in 1975, finally divorcing amicably in 1983.
Her autobiography, “Diane: A Signature Life,” was published by Simon and Schuster November 1998. “I lived the American dream,” she said, “I made money, I made children, I became famous, and I dressed everyone in America.” Along the way, she had fun, partying at Studio 54 and hanging out with Halston, Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhold and the rest of the gang. The men at her side included Warren Beatty and Richard Gere. Burning the candle at both ends became wearing, so von Furstenberg took the ’80s to concentrated on her kids, her health and her inner growth. She moved to Paris in 1985 after falling in love with noted French novelist Alain Elkann, and their spacious Rive Gauche apartment became a literary salon. In 1989, her affair finished, she returned to the U.S. to her home on a 100-acre estate in Connecticut. Within the year she was back to planning her next opening, a new line of dresses complete with von Furstenberg perfume.
After being friends for 26 years, von Furstenberg married USA Networks chief Barry Diller in New York on 2/02/2001, which was the media mogul’s 59th birthday.
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