Every great fashion designer brings a unique thumbprint that sets them apart from their contemporaries. For Christian Dior it is the BAR jacket, for Yves Saint Laurent it is the Le Smoking tuxedo, and for Diane Von Furstenberg--the renaissance woman as we like to call her--it was the wrap dress that she introduced in the early 70s.
In order to celebrate 40 years of the success of this iconic style, the designer and her team put together a stunning exhibit. The exhibit, Journey of a Dress, is on display at the Wilshire May Co. building in Los Angeles till April 1st . "She made me famous. She paid for all my bills. And tonight we celebrate the wrap dress," DVF mused at the opening.
A former princess, she decided to start her own business after marrying a prince simply because she didn’t want to be sitting at home playing the role defined for her. Obviously, her creative juices incited her to step into the world of fashion design, and now DVF is a name as legendary as any in the design circuit.
After seeing Julie Eisenhower on television wearing one of her own wrap top and wrap skirt (inspired by silk wrap separates worn by ballet dancers), the designer decided to create an entire wrap dress. Made out of cotton-jersey, the dress couldn’t have been created at a better time. With the women’s liberation in full force, gone were the days where they had to stuff themselves into restrained garments or anything that was portrayed as a symbol of oppression.
So popular was this simple creation, that the designer sold five millions dresses from 1973 to 1976. A dress that is so easy to put on, and that literally takes the shape of your body stays true to the slogan ‘Feel like a woman, Wear a dress’ used in her first advertisement. The dresses were not only easy to wear but were also fun through the use of vibrant prints--that being another one of her signatures.
So popular was this simple creation, that the designer sold five millions dresses from 1973 to 1976. A dress that is so easy to put on, and that literally takes the shape of your body stays true to the slogan ‘Feel like a woman, Wear a dress’ used in her first advertisement. The dresses were not only easy to wear but were also fun through the use of vibrant prints--that being another one of her signatures.
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| The first DVF advertisement |
It’s a dress that can be seen on a working mum or an A-list celebrity. A dress that proved to the world that fashion isn’t always associated with uncomfortable dressing. A dress that is feminine and sexy in every possible way.
I too am a great fan of the wrap and am fortunate enough to have collected quite a few of them in the past few years. Anytime I have a social event or a luncheon to attend and don’t feel like wearing something that restricts my movement I pick out one of my DVF wraps and I’m good to go. There’s nothing sexier than a dress that shows just the right amount of cleavage and a glimpse of a woman’s thigh at times. Feminine and fabulous, a wrap dress is a must have in a girl’s closet. Also, unlike other designer dresses, this won’t set you back thousands of dollars.
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| One of my favourite wraps |
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| My other favourite wrap |
The exhibit showcases Von Furstenberg’s favourite dresses from years gone by. Two hundred customised Ralph Pucci mannequins (they all have Diane’s cheekbones) are seen in different variations of the timeless wrap dresses, some of which date back to the 1970’s and you can even see the original sample. The dresses have not only been famous for liberating women but also for their eclectic prints. Leopard, python, geometric and even art; prints are a major part of their DNA.
Moving on from the mannequins, there are nostalgic photos of the designer’s first advertisement along with other ads, fashion shows, celebrities wearing the dresses in movies (think Cybil Shepherd in Taxi Driver), and even of Michelle Obama in her signature creation. There is also a letter from the legendary editor of Harper’s Bazaar, Diana Vreeland who told her that she thought her clothes were smashing! Now, if only I was in LA to see the exhibit.
In the last few years, I have noticed an increasing number of Bollywood celebrities and Indian fashion lovers sporting DVF dresses which is fantastic. It's great to know that her fan following has reached India. I love that the designer has entered the Indian market by making her clothes exclusively available at Kitsch. From Priyanka Chopra to Deepika Padukone and Lisa Hayden, all of them have been seen in her designs. Now that’s really a WRAP.
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| Deepika Padukone in DVF |
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| Lisa Hayden in DVF |
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| Sonakshi Sinha in DVF |
