WRAP S TAR

More than 40 years later, DVF’s iconic dress is still a symbol of femininity and power.

much has changed for Diane von Furstenberg since 1974, when she posed for her brand’s inaugural campaign touting the provocative tag line “Feel like a woman, wear a dress.” The dress in question— a simple but sexy wrap style made from soft body-hugging jersey—went on to sell by the millions, turning the Belgium-born, NYC-based designer into a household name. Four decades later, she has 45 boutiques around the world and, like anyone who has truly made it, stars in her own reality-TV show, House of DVF. “I had no idea the dress would be so successful,” she reflects. “But it turned out to be exactly what women wanted at the time—to go to work and still feel feminine.” That much has stayed the same, she says, noting that within her own family, the dress has been a wardrobe staple for her mother, her daughter and now her granddaughter. “It came to represent freedom and independence for generations of women. Fashion is really about expression—this was true in the ’70s and it’s true now.” ■