“My Big Goal Was to Create a Fashion Family”—Diane von Furstenberg Discusses Her 13 Years as the Head of the CFDA

Last Tuesday Diane von Furstenberg chaired her final membership meeting for the CFDA. There was a party at the Metrograph and a Charlotte Neuville cake with frosting in a familiar DVF print, topped by a wrap dress-wearing Statue of Liberty. In addition to being the godmother of American fashion for the last 13 years (nine as CFDA President, and four more as CFDA Chairman), von Furstenberg recently took a spot on the board of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, and raised no less than $100 million for a new museum on Liberty Island, which opened earlier this month. She’s hardly going to have a quiet retirement.

Likewise, her years leading the CFDA were anything but subdued. Von Furstenberg doubled the membership, established an endowment, launched an anti-piracy campaign, advocated for a strict age-requirement for models, and promoted a rethink of New York fashion week—a subject her successor Tom Ford will apparently take up in earnest. (She’ll pass the proverbial torch at the CFDA Awards ceremony at the Brooklyn Museum on June 3.) As a jury member on the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, von Furstenberg mentored 2008 winner Alexander Wang and 2012 runner-up Jennifer Meyer, and shepherded a hundred more young talents through the competition. All the while, of course, von Furstenberg was running her eponymous label, launched 45 years ago on the strength of her genius wrap dress concept.

In an interview, von Furstenberg discussed the highs and lows—but mostly highs—of her CFDA tenure, and the work she wants to do “for the rest of her life.”

The CFDA named you President in 2006. Do you remember being asked?

I was on the committee to find a new President and it ended up being me. I said I would do it for two years, which is exactly what Tom [Ford] told me.

How do you feel about Tom replacing you as Chairman?

It’s been two years I’ve been looking for my replacement. I wanted to end nicely. I want an upgrade. Tom was the right one. I worked on him for a long, long time. I’m so excited it’s him. He’s a star, and he’s also very international. He’s going to be much stricter than I am, much more disciplined. It’s a perfect change.

The CFDA got a star when they go you, though, no? Fashion was always a glamorous industry, but you certainly raised the profile of the CFDA.

Nobody knew those initials at the time I took the job.

What did you want to do first?

My first big goal was to create a fashion family. We grew from 250 members to 500 members.

And what are you proudest of? The CFDA website highlights your anti-piracy initiative.

That was an experience! We had this lobbyist Liz Robbins. She took us to Washington and she said, “Congress is meeting, I don’t think you’re going to be able to see anyone.” Well, we met everyone. Nancy Pelosi, John McCain, Maxine Waters, Dianne Feinstein. The anti-piracy thing went nowhere, but we created so much noise that the mass merchants realized the importance of having a real designer. We started that in a sense. I was happy about that. We enhanced the value of designers.

Another thing we did is buy the Fashion Calendar. You know, I had an emotional attachment to the calendar. That was the first call I made when I was in Diana Vreeland’s office. Diana Vreeland had an assistant Kezia Keeble. Kezia said, “I really think she liked it,” meaning Mrs. Vreeland. She told me to take a room at the Gotham Hotel, which is now the Peninsula, and that I should call the Fashion Calendar and do an announcement in WWD. I said, “Can I use your phone?” And I sat on her desk and called Ruth Finley.

What was the hardest part of the job?

They were good years. I really feel motherly with Steven [Kolb, the President and CEO of the CFDA]. I really mentored him.

You did a lot of mentoring during your time at the CFDA.

There’s nothing more rewarding. You know, when you have a voice, when you are successful, when you have a lot of knowledge, you do have a magic wand. You can make so much difference with so little. I have a habit, before I get up I send two emails that don’t benefit me. You introduce this person to that person, and you change somebody’s life. That’s what I want to do the rest of my life.

What do you see as the challenges facing New York fashion?

Everything is immediate. Whether we like it or not, it is. If you work for Vogue, you used to work six months in advance, now you have to do it for tonight. It’s direct to consumer. Everyone is a little media brand. I don’t need to tell you all the things that are different. The wholesale business is shrinking… So, why would you show six months in advance? Everybody’s thinking vertical, what I can ship right now?

So, you feel that fashion week hasn’t caught up to the changes happening in fashion?

No, but it will. It absolutely will, and it will be very dynamic. And American fashion is very exciting. There’s a lot of young designers, but the young designers are thinking different now. Even on the Fashion Fund, it’s not like they all say “we’re going to do a fashion show.” Of course it will survive, but it’s changing.

You have a big year! The Statue of Liberty Museum just opened. Why was this project important to you?

It was something I so did not want to do. They came running behind me for three years; they wanted me on the board. Stephen Briganti [the President and CEO of Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation] gave me a book on the Statue. Then I was intrigued. Finally, he came to me and he had read my book, [The Woman I Want to Be: Diane von Furstenberg]. In it is a quote from my mother, who survived the Holocaust. It says: “God saved me so that I could give you life. By giving you life you gave me my life back. You are my torch of freedom.” Stephen said, “your mother said you’re the torch of freedom. You’ve got to do this.” Going on the board meant I had to raise money for the museum. I raised $100 million. I can’t believe to this day that I did it... Did you know that at the inauguration of the Statue of Liberty in 1886 no women were allowed?

You’ve done a lot for women over the years.

We had the DVF Awards in April. Anita Hill got the big prize. And I just got an award from Vital Voices, which is an organization that I’ve helped for years. Nancy Pelosi gave it to me. I was always a feminist, and I always said to be a feminist doesn’t mean you have to look a truck driver. Feminine and feminist is I think what I stand for.

It’s the 45th anniversary of the wrap dress. Do you think about your legacy at all?

The third generation of the company is starting. I have a woman CEO [Sandra Campos]—she gets it. She’s a DVF woman. I have a woman in charge of all design. I have Talita, [my granddaughter] and I’m so proud of her. She has her own line TVF by DVF. And it was very successful. The pop-up sold out in two days. She’s very serious about it. She emailed me in the middle of the night, she said, “I’m anxious about sales.” I said, “but you sold out.” Then she said, “well, for the next time.” She’s adorable. So it’s nice for me.

Do you have any advice for Tom Ford?

Tom doesn’t need advice. It would be stupid to give it to him. It’s nice to come fresh and do it your own way. He’s very serious at everything he does, and he’s a little intimidating, which is good. But he’s a nice guy. He’s a statesman. It’s a great honor for me that he comes after me.

This interview has been edited and condensed.