Diane von Furstenberg on DVF Awards, joy of mentoring
After rocketing to fame in the early 1970s for her iconic wrap dresses, legendary fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg says she’s now in the third act of her life.
“My third act is about using my experience and my knowledge ... to share it and to help. And I’m so inspired by women and mentoring and philanthropy. But mentoring is something that gives me so much joy and so much pleasure,” von Furstenberg said Wednesday on “CBS This Morning.”
She’s hosting the 8th annual DVF Awards in April to honor trailblazing women who show leadership, strength and courage in their commitment to women’s causes. The event, held at the United Nations in New York City, is part of the Women in the World conference.
“The whole point about creating these awards is really to give exposure to these extraordinary women that people may not know about,” von Furstenberg said.
Nominees for the People’s Voice award, where you can vote online, range from the executive director of an anti-slavery organization to a founder of a violence intervention program. The honorees will receive $50,000 for their non-profit organization.
“It’s about women who have the strength to fight, the courage to survive, and then the leadership to inspire,” von Furstenberg said.
The designer and philanthropist said she was raised by a mother who told her being a woman was a privilege, and because she ran her own company, she didn’t hit a glass ceiling.
“But I have to say today for the first time ever, I see sexism, and therefore I think that it is very important for women to show their strength,” von Furstenberg said.
