Diane von Furstenberg
Diane von Furstenberg is no doubt considered fashion royalty, but the Belgian-born designer, who produces her chic and iconic clothing line in New York City, is also a former princess. Von Furstenberg (born Diane Simone Michelle Halfin in 1946) was married to German Prince Egon of Furstenberg from 1969 to 1972, during which time the couple had two children, and Diane, with a $30,000 investment, began her lengthy and decorated career as a women's clothing designer. In the early 1970s, von Furstenberg moved from Paris to New York City, where she quickly found fame as a designer, society figure and Studio 54 mainstay. Because DVF was a member of this exclusive New York set, she knew exactly how to dress them. In 1973, she created a figure-flattering, jersey wrap dress, which not only became her brand's iconic look but is also recognized as a symbol of the women's liberation movement of that decade, reflective of the free spirit culture that was embraced across the nation. Forty years later, the DVF label continues to reinvent the wrap dress for the modern woman (an example of its original incarnation is included in the collection at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art), as well as produce highly successful clothing, accessories and footwear that fits von Furstenberg's lifestyle, first and foremost — fun, flattering and fast-paced.