Diane von Furstenberg, the Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress, is gradually releasing control of the company she founded: DVF Studio.
In January, the company re-branded its logo, monogram, and brand colors. It signifies a new chapter for DVF the fashion brand, as well as DVF the woman. “It created a little shock with everyone,” Furstenberg said about the brand change at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit 2017 in D.C. on Tuesday. “I’ve been thinking about ‘Who is the woman I want to be for my third act?'”
Before she embarks on her third act, Furstenberg said she first needs to ensure her business is in the right hands. In 2015 she moved to the chairman role at the company and hired a chief creative officer. Now she’s in the process of hiring a CEO and re-thinking the business model. “So that will be another shock,” she said.
Von Furstenberg said she wants her next chapter to be focused on using her voice and connections to be at “the service of women.” As she was having breakfast with her granddaughter the morning before the Most Powerful Women Summit, Furstenberg realized something: Her granddaughter (and the generation of millennial women) cares about activism. “I feel that there’s something that is happening to women,” Furstenberg said. “I look at my daughter — she didn’t really care much about being a feminist, even though she is. But my granddaughters are very much feminists.”
At 70 years old, the designer continues to be vocal about the need for fashion to stay relevant to millennial consumers. “I relate so much with millennials because my best years were between 25 and 29,” adding that what she’s selling transcends generations. “The more confident I got, the more I was selling confidence to other women.”
