Diane von Fürstenberg’s Timeless Dress and Exhibit now on Display in L.A.

In the late 1960’s, Diane von Fürstenberg was married, a young mother, and a transplanted émigré in Manhattan aiming for independence and a career in fashion design.  She had arrived in the U.S. from her native Belgium, where her parents — a Romanian father and Greek mother who was also a Holocaust survivor —  had immigrated after World War II.  Fast-forward over 40 years from those early days in New York, and she is now a global phenomenon: one of the most innovative women of the fashion world, a savvy businesswoman, and philanthropist focused strongly on women’s empowerment issues.

The designer began creating her first clothing line in her mid-twenties, and before she had turned 30, had invented her iconic “wrap dress,” forever changing her place in the fashion world. This easy-going but timelessly chic garment has come to define Fürstenberg;  elegant and sexy, it’s perfect for both a romantic dinner and casual brunch. Continuing to define femininity, the dress has in a way become its own character, favored by a spectrum of celebrities from Madonna to Michelle Obama. (Most recently, the vintage style was worn by Amy Adams in 2013’s American Hustle, set in the 1970’s.) A timeless favorite, an easy go-to fashion statement, and a flattering fit have all contributed to its astonishingly long tenure on the pop culture scene.

With such multifaceted attention, the dress and creator surely deserve a museum showcase, and now they have it: after touring the globe with stops in Moscow, Beijing, and Sao Paulo, the “Journey of a Dress” exhibit is currently being hosted in Los Angeles, with the timing aimed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Fürstenberg’s most famous garment.

A Vibrant Retrospective In a Pop Culture Metropolis

The exhibit is housed in what used to be the May Company department store (now slated to be re-modeled by 2017 into the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures), and Los Angeles, the center of pop culture, was felt to be an ideal place to launch the North American show. “I was 26 when I created the wrap dress,” says Fürstenberg, “I had no idea it would become such a phenomenon. I am excited and thrilled to have chosen Los Angeles to celebrate the four decades of ‘The Journey of a Dress.’”

This captivating program is a must-see: with a distinct 1970’s-inspired vibe, the display area is adorned with movie stills, magazine posters, and news articles.  Alongside a vast range of her dresses and how they’ve morphed throughout the years are works by Andy Warhol, Chuck Close, Annie Leibovitz, and many more artists who have either been close associates of Fürstenberg (like Warhol, a fellow Studio 54 denizen in the 1970’s), or simply inspired by her chic aesthetic.

A vast amount of thought has gone into this exhibit, with a superstar collaboration of talent; besides Fürstenberg’s own input, exhibit designer Bill Katz and renowned production designer Stefan Beckman have contributed extensively. Fürstenberg’s newly appointed artist director, Michael Herz, also assisted as the fashion coordinator. Beckman commented on the process: “There’s things she definitely wanted; she wanted an army of dresses, and we kind of came up with the idea from there. We wanted big, bold patterns everywhere. Things evolved as we worked; we worked on it for several months before, where we would lay out everything: the timeline, the artwork, and so on.”

Not only is the timeline of the style highlighted, but Fürstenberg’s beauty and qualities of glamour, talent, ambition, independence, and confidence are captured as well, with vibrant art from her personal collection intertwined throughout the exhibit. As for the woman at the center of all this, Stefan Beckman says about working with her: “She’s fun and interesting; very motherly; she’s really inspired by new things; and she’s willing to take chances, which I think is a very important trait.”

This year will continue to be another eventful one for Fürstenberg.  A special collaboration of Andy Warhol-inspired dresses and accessories can be found for a limited time at www.dvf.com; pop-up retail stores are set to be launched; and her new memoir, The Woman I Wanted to Be, is scheduled for a fall release. Although she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the CFDA in 2005, this fashion designer’s journey is clearly not yet finished and remains fascinating to watch.

The exhibit runs through May 1 at the Wilshire May Company Building, adjacent to The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and is free to the public. Be sure to check this exhibition out if you have free time in the area and share your wrap dress experience.