Diane von Furstenberg

Start-ups experience a high failure rate and those in the luxury fashion industry are no exception. However, that failure rate is drastically reduced if you are wealthy and exceptionally well-connected, including being the Chairperson of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) for 13 years. Add to the mix a design that has sold millions, been seen on A-list celebrities, British Royalty and First Ladies, and generated hundreds of millions in profits. Then include a designer who knows and gets what she wants, who is world-wise, and who is a first-class self-promoter. Are these not all the ingredients for a successful and thriving brand?

For Diane von Furstenberg and her namesake label, all the fame, exposure and recognition that money could buy was not enough. For many years before the coronavirus pandemic, the brand was bleeding money and suffering inordinate losses. Then, in 2020, a drastic change in the brand’s strategy seemed to prove that its founder was not the person she had been portraying all along. A case in point is that von Furstenberg claimed to be a fervent advocate for the empowerment of women and yet this advocacy does not extend to her female employees.

Inside the Brand: Diane von Furstenberg goes behind the glossy facade of von Furstenberg and her brand and reveals the stark reality of how both are potentially going down like a lead balloon.