Diane von Furstenberg: "Take your vulnerabilities and turn them into strengths"
Taking risks, experiencing the unfamiliar and pushing boundaries never grows old so, as part of a new digital series, we're celebrating adventure at every age. Every month, we will speak to a different woman who embodies that sense of adventure, starting with the fashion legend Diane von Furstenberg.
The designer is known for smashing barriers in both her career and personal life. Born to a Holocaust survivor, she married a prince and went on to become one of fashion's most influential names. Her world-famous wrap dress turned 50 this year, but has lost none of its appeal. Von Furstenberg has worked fearlessly, travelled extensively and loved fiercely. Here, she shares what she has learnt about adventure.
As long as you are alive, you experience adventure. I’m 77 years old and I continue to see my life as an exciting experience that could change in a flash. Ageing is not decay – it’s a continuation of life. In my documentary, Woman in Charge, I said something that everyone seemed to like: instead of asking, ‘how old are you?' as so many of us do, we should ask, 'how long have you lived?’ When you age, you see the wide lens more clearly. I don’t look the way I used to, but I’m busy – I love my job and my family. I love my life.
Travel is important, but remember that life is a journey, and adventure is a philosophy. You don’t have to travel to exotic places to experience it. We can’t decide who our parents are, or what our destiny will be, but what we can do is design our life based on what is in front of us – and that is where exciting and interesting experiences begin. Discover yourself. You can have an adventure with a book, by going to a museum, or through talking to someone new. Avoid small talk, I hate it. Really listen to the person you’re speaking to. Connect, expand, inspire and advocate. Every morning, I try to connect with someone I wouldn’t normally have met, or connect someone I know with someone new. I may not have had any official training in fashion design, but I have a PhD in designing life.
Think about your life as if you were packing to go away somewhere. If you can pack well, you can live well. Packing is a symbol of life. Every time we pack a suitcase, we are choosing what to leave out and what to leave in; we are curating an experience. If you pack lightly, you live lightly. My best design ideas happen when I pack because it makes my mind work in a certain way.
Adventure and fearlessness often go hand-in-hand and I learnt the former from my mother. She was a Holocaust survivor who, when the war ended, weighed just 49 pounds, not much more than her bones. She was so fragile, but she survived. She used to say that by giving me life she got her life back. For me, life is honouring that. I was taught by my mother to honour life at every moment, and that’s what I have taught my family. This morning, as an example, I was watching the sun rise in Greece. At that exact same time, my oldest grandson shared a picture in our family chat of the sun going down in LA, with a one word: 'living'. The adventure is to cherish life in the small moments, and to really live, whatever happens.
Own every moment, whether it’s good or bad. At some point, we will all be dealt a bad card, and in those harder times it’s important to face it head on. When life is unpleasant, push the fear away and deal with it. Don’t be delusional, and do the best you can. Don’t waste time shaming or blaming others – those things will only make you a prisoner. Focus on what’s in front of you, and take ownership of your life. I recently hosted the 15th DVF Awards in Venice; every woman who won an award had, in some way, taken control of her world and acted with courage. Strength, dignity and compassion look different on everyone, but what's important is being true to yourself and owning who you are. Take your imperfections and turn them into assets. Take your vulnerabilities and turn them into strengths. The most important thing first and foremost is to be honest with yourself. Once you are true to yourself, then you are free.
Pay attention to detail. If you don’t pay attention to detail, then you will wander without fully enjoying the world; you will wander without adventure. I have lived a big, folkloric life with intensity. It has been difficult at times, but I have dealt with what’s been placed in front of me as best as I can.
Adventure happens in small ways as well as big. I love watching sunrises. I like sunsets too, like everyone else, but I adore sunrises. Even when I’m in New York, I’m often up when the sun goes up because it’s such a good reminder that the a new day never fails: dawn is inevitable.
As told to Ella Alexander
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