Phebe Wahl Phebe Wahl | May 2, 2019 | People,
A national treasure who has championed women around the world for decades, we checked in with DVF hot off her recent awards celebration and the Statue of Liberty Museum slated to open this month.
Since launching her eponymous label in 1972 and iconic wrap dress in 1974, Diane von Furstenberg has empowered women through both fashion and philanthropy. “My son, Alexander, thought that since I am so committed to empowering women, the family foundation should create an annual award ceremony that would give money and exposure to the honorees,” she says of the DVF Awards, which recently celebrated their 10th anniversary last month with a star-studded event. She created the platform to honor and recognize women who are breaking barriers. “The DVF Awards celebrate women who have shown the courage to fight, the strength to survive and the leadership to inspire,” she says of honorees like Misty Copeland, Dr. Jane Goodall, Anita F. Hill, Katy Perry and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
With an already philanthropy-packed life, von Furstenberg was at first reluctant to get involved. “When I was asked to join the board of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Foundation, I was a bit hesitant to join another board, but the more I read about Lady Liberty and about the prestigious people that have been involved with her since her conception, the more I realized what an honor it was,” she says. “I am now completely obsessed and committed to her,” von Furstenberg says.
The living legend hopes the flame will continue to burn long after she is gone. “It is a duty and a privilege to share what I have learned and to use my voice and my connections to support other women. It is our duty... and it makes us better. It is a gift to be able to give.” dvf.com; libertyellisfoundation.org
Photography by: DVF Archives