Diane von Furstenberg

Skyrocketing to fame in the 70s for her signature wrap dress, Diane von Furstenberg is celebrating the 40th anniversary of an iconic design that has carved a lasting niche for her brand in worldwide luxury. She is best known for her bold prints, feminine dresses, and easy-to-wear pieces and even expanding collections with home décor items like bedding and table top pieces while bringing a sense of modern confidence to women across the globe. Coinciding with the emblematic anniversary Von Furstenberg has launched a commemorative fashion collection designed to illustrate the history of her works.

The Tale of the Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress

The chronicles of the dress that made Diane von Furstenberg a household name is like any good tale, there are ups and there are downs. The wrap dress was originally spotted on the cover of a 1976

Newsweek before going out of production a few years later. At the time, the dress embodied the strength of women who could succeed in a male dominated work environment while maintaining their femininity with ads often garnishing "Feel Like a Woman, Wear a Dress!" or other similar slogans. It eventually regained relevance as well as popularity in 1997 when DVF reintroduced the fashion staple.

Von Furstenberg notes to W magazine, “In French it is called arobe portefeuille, which is very appropriate, because portefeuille means ‘wallet’ and it certainly filled mine. I used to be annoyed that my name was always associated with this one dress. I thought it’s not the only thing I’ve done, now, I think this is pretty amazing. I created something that has been part of many generations.”

The dress that made fashion history typically cinches around the waste to give the illusion of an hourglass figure and is made out of a long sheet of fabric. It can be found in brightly colored or monotone patterns as featured in the DVF anniversary collection.

Currently, over 200 original pieces and related artworks are on display in a 40th anniversary exhibition produced by Furstenberg where you can browse through original designs and patterns from the 70s as well as more modern and chic architecture like asymmetrical, flares, pantsuits, and rompers. If you simply don’t have time for a trip to L.A. and prefer somewhere a little closer to home, stop by Chelsea at The Grove in Shrewsbury to fall in love with her newest fall 2014 collection.