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Diane von Furstenberg: A Life Unwrapped
The daughter of a Holocaust survivor and wife of an Austrian nobleman, Diane von Furstenberg burst onto New York’s fashion scene in 1969, and within a few years became an international sensation with her colorful wrap dress in printed jersey. Embraced by millions of American women of all ages, sizes, and shapes, the dress became a cult object and symbol of women’s liberation, tied inexorably to the image of youth, independence, and sex Diane herself projected.
In this masterful biography, Gioia Diliberto brings Diane’s extraordinary life into focus, from her post-World-War-II childhood in Belgium, through her rise to the top of the fashion world during the decadent seventies and glamorous go-go eighties, to her humiliating failures both professional and personal, and her remarkable comeback in the nineties. Like Coco Chanel, Diane has always been her own best advertisement. Morphing from a frizzy brunette outsider in a sea of sleek blondes to a stunning pop cultural icon, she embodied the brand she created—“the DVF woman,” a model of self-sufficiency, sensuality, and confidence.
Dilberto’s captivating, balanced portrait, based on scores of interviews with Diane’s family, friends, lovers, employees, and the designer herself, explores von Furstenberg’s relationships with her husbands and lovers, and illuminates fashion’s evolution from rare luxury to marketing monster and the development of a uniquely American style. Lively and insightful, the book also explores the larger world of the nation’s elite, where fashion, culture, society, politics, and Hollywood collide. Diane von Furstenberg is a modern fable of self-invention, fame, wealth, failure, and success that mirrors late-twentieth century America itself.
In this masterful biography, Gioia Diliberto brings Diane’s extraordinary life into focus, from her post-World-War-II childhood in Belgium, through her rise to the top of the fashion world during the decadent seventies and glamorous go-go eighties, to her humiliating failures both professional and personal, and her remarkable comeback in the nineties. Like Coco Chanel, Diane has always been her own best advertisement. Morphing from a frizzy brunette outsider in a sea of sleek blondes to a stunning pop cultural icon, she embodied the brand she created—“the DVF woman,” a model of self-sufficiency, sensuality, and confidence.
Dilberto’s captivating, balanced portrait, based on scores of interviews with Diane’s family, friends, lovers, employees, and the designer herself, explores von Furstenberg’s relationships with her husbands and lovers, and illuminates fashion’s evolution from rare luxury to marketing monster and the development of a uniquely American style. Lively and insightful, the book also explores the larger world of the nation’s elite, where fashion, culture, society, politics, and Hollywood collide. Diane von Furstenberg is a modern fable of self-invention, fame, wealth, failure, and success that mirrors late-twentieth century America itself.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2014
40 people are currently reading
680 people want to read
About the author
Gioia Diliberto
11 books93 followersGioia Diliberto is the author of eight books -- three historical novels and five nonfiction narratives -- and a play. Her writing, which focuses on women's lives, has been praised for combining rich storytelling and literary grace with deep research to bring alive worlds as varied as Jazz Age Paris, nineteenth century Chicago, Belle Epoque Paris, disco era Manhattan, and Prohibition New York. Her books have been translated into several languages, and her articles have appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian, Town & Country, and Vanity Fair. She also teaches writing and has taught at DePaul and Northwestern Universities and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Gioia is the mother of a grown son and lives in Woodbury, Connecticut with her husband.
Gioia is the mother of a grown son and lives in Woodbury, Connecticut with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 25, 2015
Some interesting tidbits about the fashion industry over the past few decades, but really, there's only so much one can say about the empowering nature of the wrap dress.
February 2, 2018
Interessante la storia di questa stilista che ha segnato due ere storiche della moda (i '70 e primi 2000) con il suo immortale Wrap Dress.
Ho scoperto, come spesso capita con le biografie, moltissime cose interessante legate anche ad altri personaggi che hanno gravitato intorno al mondo della moda di quegli anni e alle persone con le quali la Von Furstenberg ha intrecciato relazioni nel corso della sua vita.
Peccato che lo stile della Diliberto non abbia reso appassionante e coinvolgente la lettura. Dal mio punto di vista è risultato un pò nozionistico e lento, non nascondo di aver faticato ad arrivare in fondo.
Ho scoperto, come spesso capita con le biografie, moltissime cose interessante legate anche ad altri personaggi che hanno gravitato intorno al mondo della moda di quegli anni e alle persone con le quali la Von Furstenberg ha intrecciato relazioni nel corso della sua vita.
Peccato che lo stile della Diliberto non abbia reso appassionante e coinvolgente la lettura. Dal mio punto di vista è risultato un pò nozionistico e lento, non nascondo di aver faticato ad arrivare in fondo.
November 23, 2018
This is the sort of biography that I would recommend to everyone, even readers who don’t know the subject: Diane von Furstenberg (by the way, when did she lose the umlauts?). DVF is incredibly well written, and I marvel at how the author is able to judge how much to say on any given topic: there’s never too much, never too little. We learn about Diane von Furstenberg (whom I will refer to from now on as DVF), from her childhood – her mother was a Holocaust survivor – to her conquest of the fashion world, but I loved that we were situated in the context and the times, and the people who came and went in DVF’s life were properly introduced. I knew little of her, apart from her notoriety as a fashion designer, that she was Belgian, and that she had married a real (Austrian) Prince.
Ms. Diliberto with a few crisp sentences makes the sixties, the seventies – every era - come to vivid life; she briefly makes us understand how the fashion and garment industry work. There is not one dull moment, the pace is brisk, the writing lively and vibrant. This is one of the finest biographies I have ever read because it is perfectly balanced, well researched and documented; the focus is on DVF, and the information pertaining to other people who came and went in her life is relevant. The writing is so exceptionally good; I know I’m repeating myself, but it’s an undisputable fact. It’s one of those books where the author is not writing about herself but about her subject, and she is also quite unbiased, I may add. The book is scrupulously well researched and well documented; the author interviewed several of the people involved at length, including Ms. Furstenberg. I don’t know if it’s the same in the print edition, but in the Kindle edition, there are very few photos, and they are quite small. But then again, Diane von Furstenberg is easy to google! DVF was “A female dude” who earned my respect and admiration; a fantastic biography!
Ms. Diliberto with a few crisp sentences makes the sixties, the seventies – every era - come to vivid life; she briefly makes us understand how the fashion and garment industry work. There is not one dull moment, the pace is brisk, the writing lively and vibrant. This is one of the finest biographies I have ever read because it is perfectly balanced, well researched and documented; the focus is on DVF, and the information pertaining to other people who came and went in her life is relevant. The writing is so exceptionally good; I know I’m repeating myself, but it’s an undisputable fact. It’s one of those books where the author is not writing about herself but about her subject, and she is also quite unbiased, I may add. The book is scrupulously well researched and well documented; the author interviewed several of the people involved at length, including Ms. Furstenberg. I don’t know if it’s the same in the print edition, but in the Kindle edition, there are very few photos, and they are quite small. But then again, Diane von Furstenberg is easy to google! DVF was “A female dude” who earned my respect and admiration; a fantastic biography!
February 8, 2020
Pros: This is a great overview of the life and career of Diane Von Furstenberg. What an incredible life - like how the book covers her happy times and isn’t afraid to show the warts, too.
Cons: It did seem to jump around a bit via time wise. As the reader I felt pushed into the near future, brought back to the current time and then pushed temporarily into the past. Felt it would have read more seamlessly if it were more linear. Wish there were colored photos. The photos selected did a good job representing her life, but wanted to see larger images - esp of her and her famous dress.
Cover art: like the red and black contrast but wish there would have be a picture of Diane on the cover in her wrap dress.
Cons: It did seem to jump around a bit via time wise. As the reader I felt pushed into the near future, brought back to the current time and then pushed temporarily into the past. Felt it would have read more seamlessly if it were more linear. Wish there were colored photos. The photos selected did a good job representing her life, but wanted to see larger images - esp of her and her famous dress.
Cover art: like the red and black contrast but wish there would have be a picture of Diane on the cover in her wrap dress.
September 22, 2019
I had heard of Diane with the fashion research that I've done with watching fashion docs and reading the society columns or whatever. But I knew nothing and I had no idea she was even a fashion designer (she invented the 70s wrap dress). She sounds like a really cool person and someone who I could kind of relate to! She. Is happy being independent and we'll read and it sounded like she could have done other careers besides fashion!
September 7, 2017
This is an interesting biography of Diane Von Furstenberg. She worked hard and had to fight for all that she accomplished. I am impressed with her gumption. She also lived her life really fully - partying with people at Studio 54, having love affairs, etc. I admire that she could go out and be herself.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.
January 26, 2018
I found this book quite dry at times, especially when dealing with Diane's younger years. The book picks up considerably once the wrap dress and the DVF brand come into play. Diane is an inspiring woman!
August 15, 2017
So juicy and a good insight to the glitteratti of the European ex-pats in New York.
February 20, 2018
Fascinating.
December 31, 2018
Good bio - just wish that it took DVF's story closer to present day rather than stopping in 2001 (though there is an epilogue dated 2014).
February 13, 2019
Well researched and well constructed
August 16, 2020
a really interesting look into an incredible woman, would recommend to anyone interested in fashion biographies
January 8, 2021
fascinating life
October 10, 2016
I don't understand the slightly disapproving tone and slut shaming. I love Diliberto's novel, but now I'm worried the rest of her biographies are just as bitchy.
May 7, 2016
Author Gioia Diliberto has written a plain, not flashy - "workman-like" - biography of one of the most interesting women in fashion, "Diane von Furstenberg: A Life Unwrapped". This book is not an overblown look at von Furstenberg - you know, the kind of bio that is excerpted in the "National Enquirer", promising salacious looks at the "real" Diane; rather it is a quiet look at the woman, on both the professional and personal levels.
Here's the thing: I truly think after reading the biography that Diane von Furstenberg has led a rather understated life, given all the sex, drugs, bad business practices, and other idiocies that have gone on around her. As the daughter of a survivor of Auschwitz who was emotionally fragile, Diane grew up in Brussels with two parents who were a volatile match. She married young to her life-long friend, Egon von Furstenberg, had two children with him, and developed a famous fashion business in the 1970's, centering around her "wrap dress". The marriage failed but Diane stayed close to Egon, which seemed to be the pattern of most of her relationships with men. The 1970's passed, the phenomenal sales of the dress petered off, and Diane went on to reinvent herself, both socially and financially. Each new boyfriend after her divorce from Egon produced a slightly "different" Diane than before. Finally, she married her long-time, off-and-on friend, Barry Diller. Diller is gay but their marriage seems to be a partnership of true love and devotion to each other. Who cares what they do in the bedroom? They appear to be "soul-mates", and have done much good on the charitable and political worlds.
Gioia Diliberti's biography is measured and well-written. No salacious tidbits; Diane von Furstenberg seems to be a nice woman who has led an interesting life and has given back to society on many levels.
Here's the thing: I truly think after reading the biography that Diane von Furstenberg has led a rather understated life, given all the sex, drugs, bad business practices, and other idiocies that have gone on around her. As the daughter of a survivor of Auschwitz who was emotionally fragile, Diane grew up in Brussels with two parents who were a volatile match. She married young to her life-long friend, Egon von Furstenberg, had two children with him, and developed a famous fashion business in the 1970's, centering around her "wrap dress". The marriage failed but Diane stayed close to Egon, which seemed to be the pattern of most of her relationships with men. The 1970's passed, the phenomenal sales of the dress petered off, and Diane went on to reinvent herself, both socially and financially. Each new boyfriend after her divorce from Egon produced a slightly "different" Diane than before. Finally, she married her long-time, off-and-on friend, Barry Diller. Diller is gay but their marriage seems to be a partnership of true love and devotion to each other. Who cares what they do in the bedroom? They appear to be "soul-mates", and have done much good on the charitable and political worlds.
Gioia Diliberti's biography is measured and well-written. No salacious tidbits; Diane von Furstenberg seems to be a nice woman who has led an interesting life and has given back to society on many levels.
January 10, 2016
I picked this book up at the library because I have a general interest in fashion and fashion designers. I didn't know much about DVF, except that she is famous for wrap dresses. I have one hanging in my closet.
This is the kind of book that makes you feel like everyone in the world is dirty and compromised. :(
Within the first 33 pages, the reader is exposed to very disturbing behavior. With the encouragement of her mother, by the age of 16 Diane is engulfed in a life of drugs and wanton casual sex with both boys & girls. She builds on this foundation as her life progresses, celebrating hedonism and feminist ideals (as does almost everyone else referenced in the book) with amorality.
I slugged through the book at a slow rate. After a while, the author slows down her reporting of DVF's sexual conquests and reports on the actual DVF business. The business side of things was much more interesting to me. I was also surprised to learn that Diane's mother was a concentration camp survivor and that Diane married a European prince and became a titled princess. However, around page 200, Diane has an abortion and I gave up on the book. It was too much, even for a guilty pleasure.
The author has written several other books on seemingly interesting topics, but I'll have to pass on them after reading this book. She is the Kitty Kelley of the bedroom. I pray that all she writes isn't true. And, even if it is true, I don't particularly want to know.
I'm not sure if I'll bring myself to wear my DVF dress again, now that I know the spirit and intention behind its creation. :(
This is the kind of book that makes you feel like everyone in the world is dirty and compromised. :(
Within the first 33 pages, the reader is exposed to very disturbing behavior. With the encouragement of her mother, by the age of 16 Diane is engulfed in a life of drugs and wanton casual sex with both boys & girls. She builds on this foundation as her life progresses, celebrating hedonism and feminist ideals (as does almost everyone else referenced in the book) with amorality.
I slugged through the book at a slow rate. After a while, the author slows down her reporting of DVF's sexual conquests and reports on the actual DVF business. The business side of things was much more interesting to me. I was also surprised to learn that Diane's mother was a concentration camp survivor and that Diane married a European prince and became a titled princess. However, around page 200, Diane has an abortion and I gave up on the book. It was too much, even for a guilty pleasure.
The author has written several other books on seemingly interesting topics, but I'll have to pass on them after reading this book. She is the Kitty Kelley of the bedroom. I pray that all she writes isn't true. And, even if it is true, I don't particularly want to know.
I'm not sure if I'll bring myself to wear my DVF dress again, now that I know the spirit and intention behind its creation. :(
August 17, 2016
I received Diane von Furstenberg: A Life Unwrapped as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
Diane von Furstenberg is perhaps best known as the designer of the wrap dress and a major force in the fashion world. This biography takes a deeper look at her early life as the daughter of Holocaust survivors and the wife of an eccentric aristocrat, her rise to fame in the 1970s, her struggles to redefine her brand in the 1980s and early 1990s, and her renaissance in the new millennium.
I'm not a fashionista, but I do work on the periphery of the fashion world, so I'm always looking for books that broaden my knowledge of the field. This was a great read, giving us an intimate glimpse at the people and forces that shaped von Furstenberg's views and philosophies, while not being a vanity piece blind to her flaws and mistakes. It mixes elements of her personal and professional life seamlessly--Diliberto's prose is well researched, engaging, and measured. I'm actually reading a biography of another pop culture icon from the same era right now, and it suffers by comparison.
I'd recommend this to fashion fans and novices alike--being a part of the latter group, I found it accessible and fascinating, while I think those with better knowledge of the industry would appreciate the depth of insight it provides into one of fashion's figureheads.
Diane von Furstenberg is perhaps best known as the designer of the wrap dress and a major force in the fashion world. This biography takes a deeper look at her early life as the daughter of Holocaust survivors and the wife of an eccentric aristocrat, her rise to fame in the 1970s, her struggles to redefine her brand in the 1980s and early 1990s, and her renaissance in the new millennium.
I'm not a fashionista, but I do work on the periphery of the fashion world, so I'm always looking for books that broaden my knowledge of the field. This was a great read, giving us an intimate glimpse at the people and forces that shaped von Furstenberg's views and philosophies, while not being a vanity piece blind to her flaws and mistakes. It mixes elements of her personal and professional life seamlessly--Diliberto's prose is well researched, engaging, and measured. I'm actually reading a biography of another pop culture icon from the same era right now, and it suffers by comparison.
I'd recommend this to fashion fans and novices alike--being a part of the latter group, I found it accessible and fascinating, while I think those with better knowledge of the industry would appreciate the depth of insight it provides into one of fashion's figureheads.
June 10, 2016
This is perfect light and frothy summer time reading chronicling the life, loves (many, many loves), and lousy business decisions of Diane von Furstenberg. While mostly entertaining, especially during the first half that details her hedonistic jet-set lifestyle, once I finished reading it I came away with no deeper insight into von Furstenberg or who she actually is as a person. The biography is as vague as to who von Furstenberg really is as von Furstenberg's description of sex ("Our bodies met") or her life motto ("Love is life is love is life" – even her own son says that's "fucking stupid"). Also, it contains a paltry selection of photos. I found myself Googling images every few pages for some visuals. It's a quick read but I wouldn't recommend buying it. It's only worth it if you check it out from the library.
September 8, 2015
I started reading the book with no previous knowledge of Diane so didn't know what to expect. I can say more than once I almost didn't finish it. Perhaps if I had followed Diane at all then I wouldn't have almost put it down twice.
The main complaint is there are too many wordy areas. I felt when she was building the picture of Diane's different fashion designs and business endeavors it was just to minute by minute. Many situations could of been told with a lot less minute details.
I also would have liked to have had more pictures included to paint a more complete picture. Having no knowledge of her life and fashion designs more clothing pictures and family pictures would have been welcomed. If it's a life unwrapped let me see what your writing about.
The main complaint is there are too many wordy areas. I felt when she was building the picture of Diane's different fashion designs and business endeavors it was just to minute by minute. Many situations could of been told with a lot less minute details.
I also would have liked to have had more pictures included to paint a more complete picture. Having no knowledge of her life and fashion designs more clothing pictures and family pictures would have been welcomed. If it's a life unwrapped let me see what your writing about.
January 29, 2016
This one was long and rambling and took me way longer to finish than other books of it's size. There was just too much information. Too many minor details that didn't enhance the story. It needed another good round of edits. The information was good but the portrait that it painted of von Furstenberg left me feeling neither here nor there, which isn't awesome. But one thing's for damn sure, I admire the hell out of her work ethic!
January 24, 2016
I waded through this book on Diane von Furstenberg but after the chapters depicting von Furstenberg's early life and her first success in the 1970's it got tiresome. It did take me back to some of the crazy days of life during the heyday of the permissiveness of that time and the subsequent sobering of things with Reagan years and AIDS epidemic, but it was all downhill afterwards.
September 1, 2015
I respect Ms. von Furstenberg. This book is about her struggles and successes.I iike it that she opened her businss years ago in the Meat Packing District and and she and Barry Diller are very involved in The High Line.
January 4, 2016
Too much about the business but I loved reading about her family life.
October 6, 2015
This was an interesting read at times, but I can't say I left with a lot of respect for this designer.
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January 26, 2016Fascinating woman! Great story of overcoming obstacles.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews