Diane von Furstenberg On Success: ‘It Is Ok to Fail’

Courtesy of Diane von Furstenberg

The tireless Diane von Furstenberg, fresh off the heels of her Spring/Summer 2015 collection and a Superstar Award from Fashion Group International, has two books out this month and a reality TV show, House of DVF, on E! premiering November 2.

Today marks the release of The Woman I Wanted to Be, a candid memoir that details her childhood as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, her life as a wild-child princess, her steamy love affairs, and how she channelled her ambitions into a multi-million dollar fashion empire.

Read on as DVF divulges how she has so much positive energy (and why she says no to plastic surgery.

Yahoo Style: Why did you choose to write such a personal book now? 

Diane von Furstenberg: It started with me wanting to tell my mother’s story, and then I realized the impact her life had on me. It is also about having reached a point of my life where I feel more qualified to give advice, so I wanted to share my life and the things I have learned…

YS: What do you hope ambitious young women might take from your story?

DVF: That it is ok to be vulnerable…I always talk about how important it is to be confident and everyone wants to be successful, but it is also ok to fail, and to make mistakes. That is when you learn the most.

YS: Did you ever imagine you’d have the kind of success you’ve had? 

DVF: Not to say that I could imagine it, but I did have a very specific idea of the kind of woman I wanted to be. I knew that I wanted to be independent and to have a career of my own. I thought about that a lot and now I can say that I became that woman, so that is really what the book is about- the process of becoming The Woman I Wanted to Be.

YS: You write about embracing the aging process. What’s the secret to aging gracefully?

DVF: I don’t claim to know the secret but I know what has worked for me…I know that I prefer to let the process happen…to recognize the face I see in the mirror as my own. That has been my way, so I think it is about staying true to yourself…every line, every wrinkle, every success, every failure, every experience has made me the woman I am today. Why would I want to erase that?

Courtesy of Diane von Furstenberg

YS: Why do you think the wrap dress has endured for 40 years?  

DVF: The wrap dress is all about the woman…it is not a dress that draws attention to itself. It draws attention to the woman, and that is what makes it timeless.

YS: Do you feel more American or more European? 

DVF: I really feel both…I like to say that I am a citizen of the world.

YS: How has the fashion business changed since you began?

DVF: It is all so much more accessible which I think is great…with fashion bloggers and social media it is easier than ever to share your point of view with the world…It has become so democratic and I love that.

YS: Is there anything you regret?

DVF: You only regret the things you don’t do…and I have done just about everything.

YS: Where did you get your positive attitude? 

DVF: I actually write about that in the book…about the moment I realized I had that capacity for optimism and happiness. And I won’t give it away but I will say that it came from my mother.

Courtesy of Diane von Furstenberg

YS: Tell us about the House of DVF show on E!  

DVF: It is going to be great! It is about eight young women who come from all over and they are all candidates for the DVF Brand Ambassador position…so we invite the girls behind the curtain of DVF and teach them all about the fashion business, from design and merchandising to marketing and social media. I try to get some good messages in there and of course there is some drama as the girls face the pressures of the job. It is really a lot of fun and it premieres on Sunday, November 2 on E!

The Woman I Wanted to Be (Simon & Schuster), $26, amazon.com