Diane von Furstenberg: How to Become the Woman You Want to Be
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What early experiences shaped Diane’s self‑belief and independence?
Diane von Furstenberg is a fashion icon, known for building one of the most legendary fashion brands in the world. No one has more self-belief than Diane, and today she shares how to keep choosing the woman you want to be through every season of your life.
Dan from Flistenberg, welcome to Aspire. I am so happy to have you here today, Diane, because from the beginning, and in fact, I'm gonna tell the story because from the inception of me thinking about having a podcast, you were there. And when I think about you, I think that you are one of the most iconic women in the world. Yeah. It's true. I know you're gonna be very um you're you're gonna Correct so many things that I say but to me. No, I I have to
show some
humility. You can start there. To me, you're one of the most iconic women in the world. And for so many women, you're there. You've built a brand that has defined multiple decades, and at 79 years of age, you are still building. But what I actually want to talk to you about today is how you've lived, the lessons in love and in money and in building a business, the experiences that have made you who you are, and the mistakes that you never shy away from talking about. about, I just don't think anyone has quite lived a life like yours. And my audience is full of ambitious people who can learn so much from you. Okay.
Big advice, real advice. In three months, I'm gonna be eighty years old. Eight oh. eight oh. So I am definitely in the winter of my life. I hope I'm gonna have a long winter, but it is winter for short. First of all I want to tell everyone Age, I mean, I don't know what this this thing that people are afraid of age. Age means you have lived. Lived. So nobody can take away what you have lived, right? So Advice number one for life, don't lie. The one thing I am so, so, so happy is that I have never lied. Therefore No one can blackmail me. Not lying means owning it, you know? And that means being in charge, which is what I wanted to be. Now, age is every year is knowledge. experience and wisdom. Layers and layers of experiences, layers of knowledge, layers of wisdom.
And so the more layers, the more comfortable the bed is.
It's true. One of the things that I find remarkable is that through everything that you have lived through, you still seem so genuinely excited about life. And I wonder what actually keeps you
motivated. Isn't. My mother was a prisoner of war. Uh she was actually in the death camp, but because she did forced labor, she didn't die. She was twenty two years old. And when she came back she weighed forty nine pounds. So she wasn't supposed to have survived, but she did. And she her parents couldn't believe she came back, so her mother fed her like a little bird, you know. Within six months she was normal. Her fiance came back from Switzerland. They met, they get married, and the doctors say, No matter what, you have to wait three years for the child because you will die and your child will not be normal. Thirteen months later I was born. And in the sense I was not normal. So my mother used to say and I have a little
thing that she wrote to me. She said, God saved me so that I can give you life. By giving you life, you gave me mine back. You are my torch of freedom. So I was born with a torch of freedom in my hand, which Sometimes could be a little heavy for a little girl, but I'm happy I did that. So my biggest achievement, the most audacious thing I ever did, was being born. So to honor life, that is the most important thing. That is what I have taught my children, my grandchildren, above everything, you honor life.
I don't think I've ever met anyone with more self belief than you have. Self belief. Self belief. Maybe me. Somebody that has Maybe me. That's a compliment from her. Maybe, maybe. Well, when I think about self belief, somebody that really knows who they are and really lives in it. And I just wonder where that comes from. Okay.
Uh when I was a little girl, my mother had a big mirror in her bedroom, a big vanity. And I used to stare at it. Not that I liked what I looked like, because I looked very different than any other little girl in Belgium.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What early experiences shaped Diane’s self‑belief and independence?
0:09–12:36
2
How did Diane’s childhood mirror moment influence her confidence as an adult?
12:36–23:53
3
What was the origin story of the DVF wrap dress and the early business launch?
23:53–35:55
4
Why did Diane decide to give a partner 25 % of the company for $300 a week?
35:55–46:24
5
How does Diane handle motherhood, guilt, and raising independent children?
46:24–52:59
6
What does Diane consider the most important relationship in life?
52:59–56:12
7
How does Diane view legacy, aging, and her next chapter after turning 80?
56:12–57:10
8
What rapid‑fire advice does Diane give to women about money, kindness, and self‑acceptance?
57:10–58:15
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Aspire with Emma Grede
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